Dag & Red 1-0 Crystal Palace: Late Aaron McLean goal leaves Eagles grounded
Monday 3 August 2015 22:07, UK
Triallist Aaron McLean scored an 89th-minute winner for Dagenham & Redbridge, consigning Crystal Palace to a 1-0 defeat in their final pre-season friendly.
On as a second-half substitute, the former Hull City striker slotted home from close range after new Eagles keeper Alex McCarthy, signed from QPR, parried a low shot into his path.
Palace's latest signing Connor Wickham, who completed his transfer from Sunderland earlier on Monday, started in a front-three with Chelsea loanee Patrick Bamford and Fraizer Campbell.
But Campbell was forced off with a knock less than 10 minutes into the match at Victoria Road and replaced by youngster Jake Gray, before Jodi Jones hit the bar for the home side with an in-swinging cross.
Daggers keeper Mark Cousins made a number of good saves before half-time to deny both the pre-season debutant Wickham and Bamford but the game remained goalless before a number of changes from both sides early in the second half.
Wickham was replaced at the interval by young Eagles forward Keshi Anderson and the substitute threatened moments after coming on, but it was the Dagenham replacement McLean, on for striker Jamie Cureton, who found the net late on.
