Daggers manager refuses to dwell on disallowed goal.

Boss John Still was philosophical about Bas Savage’s ‘goal- that-never-was’ in Daggers’ 1-0 home defeat to Brighton on Tuesday.

With 16 minutes played, the score at 0-0 and the hosts firmly on top, Savage followed up Jon Nurse’s shot with a tame effort that was cleared off the goal-line by Marcos Painter, only to bounce back off the burly striker and seemingly hit the net.

At the time the players’ appeals on the pitch were muted and Still refused to blame the defeat on the officials failure to award his side a goal.

“All our boys thought it was a goal in the first half, it went in and came out, it’s down to the linesman, but I can’t go on about that, he hasn’t given it, but our performance was first class,” he said.

“I think the players were a bit shocked and then the game had gone, you can’t go chasing after the referee, but at half time they were all saying that it was in, but he hasn’t given it, so it’s not a goal.

“He (Savage) felt the ball went in and you can’t ask for more than that, but he hasn’t given it and what’s gone is gone.”

Daggers dominated the match against the league leaders, who appear certainties for promotion as they moved 17 points clear of third placed Peterborough.

The hosts’ failure in front of goal signalled an end to their six-game unbeaten run, but despite his obvious disappointment at the result, Still was delighted with his side’s performance.

“I think it’s one of those games where you say the best team didn’t win,” he said. “They scored a good goal from probably their only chance.

“We’ve said to the players before, we’re playing very well at the moment. Our form is good, we’ve played the team that’s top of the league and I think we were the better side.

“We have to carry that form on. It’s been very good and I’m very pleased with how we’re playing. I can’t ask for more from the players.

“We’re very confident, without a shadow of a doubt. I think the players are very confident and I think the key to what we’re doing at the moment is we have a lot of very, very good performers and everyone’s confident in what they’re doing and we just have to keep taking that with us.”