DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE boss Ben Strevens has hailed the response of the Daggers' and Maidenhead United's medical staff after striker Inih Effiong collapsed on the pitch.
Effiong required emergency medical attention after feeling unwell just seconds after last week's National League game.
Daggers' physio Bryony Woodley was quickly on the scene — aided by Maidehead's club therapist Max Bangura and club doctor Mandip Singh — before Effiong was taken to hospital.
The 32-year-old former Aldershot and Woking frontman spent the night in Wycombe General — with Maidenhead defender and former Dover team-mate Kevin Lokko supporting the striker's fiance Jemma — before being released on Sunday.
“It was scary for all of us,” Strevens told The NLP. “Being honest, the first thought — Ithink it was the same from Kevin Lokko — we thought he was on the floor saying to Kev to leave him alone. That was my initial reaction but by the time I got across there with Elliot Justham we realised it was something more than that.
“Bryony, our physio, must have seen from the bench behind us something wasn't quite right and she was on quickly, thankfully.
“She stepped up massively. All the support from Maidenhead, the doctor coming on the pitch, the physios, the people who came on with the stretcher, they couldn't have done more to try and help.
“Then Kevin Lokko helping as a friend with everything he did and my assistant Lewis Young.
Respectful
“Lewis had to retire with something different to what happened with Inih — it was his vertebrae — but to be as calm as he was when he probably had flashbacks of what happened to him in the past, he couldn't have been more supportive to Inih as well.
“I felt really fortunate the people around him knew what they were doing and were calm.”
Strevens highlighted the response from fans of both clubs.
“The strangest part of it probably was their fans were celebrating, we're going onto the pitch gutted — but very quickly it turned to respectful quiet,” Stevens said. “Inih was the main concern from players to the fans. They just wanted him to be alright. Dev (Magpies boss Alan Devonshire) was amazing, their players were – it just shows what good people Maidenhead are as a football club.”
Daggers are now supporting Effiong getting to the bottom of what happened and feeling better before even putting a timeframe on a return to the pitch.
“Most importantly for Inih and his family and then us as a football club can then try and do whatever we can,” Strevens said. “Right now it's about making sure he's OK.”
