Dagenham & Redbridge 0 Gillingham 1 match report: Shadrach Ogie nets only goal at Victoria Park as Gills finish pre-season campaign with a win

Shadrach Ogie scored the only goal as Gillingham earned a narrow away win over Dagenham & Redbridge in their final pre-season friendly on Saturday.

The defender headed home to make it 1-0 in the early stages of a second period which was better than the first had been, while goalkeeper Jake Turner claimed a well-earned clean sheet ahead of next weekend’s competitive opener at Stockport County.

Turner tipped over a dangerous cross by ring wing-back Josh Hare - one of several ex-Gillingham players in the Daggers’ start - in the seventh minute amid a fairly productive afternoon for him.

Gills created their first opportunity with 17 minutes played. Recently-signed striker Ashley Nadesan did well to win a free-kick, taken by Max Clark, which home skipper and keeper Elliot Justham palmed away from danger in front of a crowd of 579 at Victoria Road.

Four minutes later, the visitors should have taken the lead against their National League hosts. Clark and Dom Jefferies combined well on the left before Tim Dieng forced a sharp save out of Justham and 28-year-old Nadesan then sent the loose ball over.

Frank Vincent went for the spectacular on the half-hour mark for Dagenham but dragged his long-range strike tamely wide.

A cross by fellow midfielder Jake Hessenthaler, the son of Gillingham’s head of recruitment Andy Hessenthaler, was met by former Dover frontman Inih Effiong, five minutes later. His goal-bound header was easily gathered by Turner.

Jefferies had been one of the Kent outfit’s first-half bright sparks and went close, only to be denied by the feet of Justham with less than 90 seconds left of a goalless and pretty uneventful first period.

Ben Strevens’ home side made two changes at the interval as one former Gillingham