Boro hope to blunt the Daggers as they look for a turnaround in their away day fortunes

Stevenage head into their Boxing Day fixture at Dagenham and Redbridge on the back of a morale-boosting win over Exeter City.

Saturday’s success on home soil ended a run of three league games without a win, though a journey to the home of the Daggers will see Boro attempt to bring to an end a run of no wins in their last eight away games.

The last time Stevenage did take three points from an away match was also, coincidentally, the last time the club played in London - a 3-2 success at AFC Wimbledon at the end of August.

Team news

Stevenage made five changes for their win against Exeter, with Boro boss Graham Westley handing a first start to on-loan striker Ryan Brunt.

Wingers Charlie Adams and Tom Pett were also recalled to the starting XI in place of some of the club’s more experienced players such as Chris Whelpdale and Simon Walton.

Westley said: “I knew I had players who possibly had been selected on their histories at times.

“Tom Pett has been terrific when he’s played, and [Chris] Whelpdale has top scored and has got those four promotions behind him.

“Those can be really difficult decisions and early on in the season when the team is emerging you kind of go with your experiences players. There comes a point when you say look, on form some of the younger players deserve the shirts.

“When they get the shirts on merit, then you need a positive reaction from your senior players and it was great to see the senior players so honest in their reaction.

“I think they know that they’ve not done as much with the shirts as they should have done.”

Lee Barnard could feature, despite going off with an ankle injury in the victory over Exeter, but centre-half Jon Ashton and strikers Connor Calcutt and Calvin Zola remain long-term absentees.

Stevenage will come up against one of their former strikers at Dagenham.

Patrick Agyemang has joined the London club on loan until January 3 from fellow League 2 outfit Portsmouth and has made one start and two substitute appearances for the Daggers without scoring.

Dagenham have also extended the loan deal of Ayo Obileye. He initially joined the club on a short-term deal in November, but will now remain at the club until January 3.

The last time they met

Dagenham were 3-2 victors the last time the two sides met, on September 4 2012.

Boro travelled to Victoria Road for a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy match, but despite goals from Mark Roberts and Robin Shroot were knocked out at the first hurdle courtesy of three first-half goals.