JOHN Still conceded Dagenham & Redbridge are unlikely to match last season's promotion push next term.

Daggers were denied a play-off place when they lost to Shrewsbury Town on the final day of last season and the Victoria Road outfit's boss believes it will be a struggle to match those achievements because a number of key players have left the club over the summer.

Winger Sam Saunders, striker Ben Strevens and defender Danny Foster have all departed for League One outfit Brentford while striker Paul Benson and defender Magnus Okuonghae have been linked with moves away from Dagenham.

With Matt Ritchie heading back to Portsmouth after a successful spell on loan, Daggers will be without almost half of the team that almost clinched promotion.

Still said: "We have always managed to improve each year but it will not be too easy doing that next year. We have to look at players to bring in because we have lost four or five players.

"The players we will bring in will not be of the same standard as the ones who have gone and therefore won't be replacements but I'm hoping that they can become as good as the players who have gone in time."

He added that he will be working on a limited budget to secure new signings but Still is not phased by the prospect of having to work with limited resources.

"It is a limited budget but I've always had to work with a limited budget ever since I've been at this club and I expect to work with one in the future," he said.

However, Still, who is currently taking a break in Cyprus, has received some good news because Tony Roberts, Mark Arber and Peter Gain have all decided to extend their stay with Dagenham.

Still is also hopeful of securing the signatures of new targets who he believes will excite Daggers fans next season but would not reveal who they are.

He said: "I'm going to make sure that by the time we go back, everything will fit into place. By the time I return it will be a case of dotting the i's and crossing the t's.

"The fans have always been excited because I sign players who most haven't heard of and then I turn them into great players so they are always excited as to who I'm going to bring in next."