Stimson hails defence

Mark Stimson praised Ian Cox and Simon King as they helped earn him his first win as Gillingham boss against Dagenham.

Mark Stimson praised Ian Cox and Simon King as they helped earn him his first win as Gillingham boss against Dagenham in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. Dennis Oli scored on his debut as an experimental Gills side thrashed the Daggers 4-0. Craig Armstrong, Aaron Brown and Chris Dickson were also on target at Priestfield, and Stimson said: "It feels great to have a first win and it's not just about the victory it's the way we performed. The performance was first class. "I know Dagenham quite well from playing against them at Stevenage and they are a team who are in your face and put you under a lot of pressure. "I thought our two centre-halves, (Ian) Cox and (Simon) King, were particularly outstanding and some of the football we played off the back of that was excellent." Meanwhile, Stimson has confirmed he is bringing back the club's reserve team in order to run the rule over first-team fringe players and trialists.

Unlucky

Manager John Still reckons his Dagenham side were unlucky to lose. Still said: "In the first half, with the greatest respect to Gillingham, we could have come in three or four in front given we had numerous shots blocked in and around their six-yard box. "Their first goal was a bit of a fluke but good luck to the boy whilst the other lad took the second one well but I thought the performance from us was first class so I've got no problems on that score." On the Gills' third goal from the spot after Rainford handballed on the line, Still said: "I'm not going to criticise the referee because I didn't see it. "The players turned away as if it was a goal kick but the ref gave a red card and a penalty but then it might well have been one. Sometimes it's not your day in football and it wasn't our day."