OFTEN there is a promotion dark horse.
Last season in League Two it was Hereford. This time, the early candidates suggesting they might fill that role are Dagenham and Redbridge, the opponents for Rotherham United tomorrow.
The Daggers are in their second season in the Football League. Their first campaign was a struggle throughout and they were always within reach of relegation's sticky tentacles but doing just enough to stay clear.
In the end they survived by seven points and so, after all, success had been achieved because it was about survival in that first season.
John Still, the manager, was delighted, but none more so than when the Daggers really knifed Chester on the opening day of this season by trouncing them 6-0.
The fact they later had a 3-0 home win over Chesterfield suggested that Dagenham had seemingly come to terms with League Two.
Already among the goals are Ben Strevens and Paul Benson, the latter a prolific scorer in the Conference but who found it more difficult last season.
Strevens was top scorer last season with 20 goals in all competitions and the player involved in the incident recently that led to the sending off of Chesterfield's young midfielder Lloyd Kerry.
It was alleged Strevens grabbed Kerry in a rather painful spot and the young Spireite got red-carded for his retaliation.
For Rotherham, the small Daggers stadium - welcome to a non-league ground - represents a plummet to earth after the heady midweek heights of the Carling Cup win over Southampton.
Manager Mark Robins was quick to send out a "keep grounded" message to his troops lest anybody's mind linger too long on the hat-trick of cup successes over Champ-ionship clubs.
Should they get a really good draw in Saturday lunchtime's fourth-round lucky dip, then minds will have to be re-focused from that.
Last season, Rotherham's first visit to Dagenham was quite significant in that it was the start of the renaissance of Pablo Mills.
Hitherto seen as a defender, or as it turned out, not seen at all in those opening dozen matches after being shipped out on loan to Crawley Town, he suddenly appeared in a holding midfield role for the first time at Dagenham.
He took to the task instantly.
Rotherham were superior that day against a Daggers side quite tentative and playing it fairly safely at that stage and the Millers triumphed 2-0 and were into a profitable run.
Robins has talked of not being afraid to rotate some of his squad and it will be interesting to see if he does that tomorrow as they face (begging Alan Knill's pardon at leaders Bury), the division's surprise team so far.
What do you think? Post your comments below. MILLERS CUP FUN RUN: See the Green'Un newspaper, available from Saturday night, for the story READ MOREWEST HAM SHOULD DO THE DECENT THING AND PAY UP - Click here to read Les Payne on the Tevez affair Blades Watch 08-09 - The Season So FarOwls Watch 08-09 - The Season So FarWatch Premiership highlights, international football, golf, tennis, darts and much moreFootball headlinesMore BladesMore OwlsMore SpireitesMore RoversMore RedsMore MillersMore Ice HockeyMore rugby leagueMore rugby unionMore boxingSports columnistsAll sport categoriesThe full article contains 564 words and appears in Sheffield Star newspaper.
