PAUL RUTHERFORD wants Wrexham to put down a marker by beating Dagenham and Redbridge tomorrow.

Dagenham, who reached the National League play-offs last season, are one of the favourites for promotion this term and, like Wrexham, are among the pacesetters.

Winger Rutherford feels victory at Victoria Road would make other teams sit up and take notice that Wrexham, currently unbeaten in 10 league games, mean business.

“Dagenham, in my opinion, are the benchmark for the league,” said Rutherford.

“If you are in and around Dagenham come the end of the season, you are going to be in a good position yourselves.

“It is going to be a massive test for us, arguably the biggest one of the season, and it is one that we need to be right going into it and give everything because it is a massive game.

“A win would be a massive marker and would probably make the rest of the league sit up and take notice of what is happening here.”

Fifth placed Wrexham are only three points behind leaders Macclesfield Town, with Dagenham two points worse off in sixth spot.

Rutherford is pleased with how the opening third of the season has gone.

“Our league form has been good,” added Rutherford.

“The gaffer has said himself there have been a few too many draws where we felt we could have won and put ourselves in a stronger position in the league.

“But if you’d have told us at the beginning of the season that we would have been three points off the top in the middle of October you would probably have taken it.

“It is a good position to be in and it is an opportunity tomorrow to take points or stop the opposition getting points on you in a game that is going to be tightly contested, and two teams that are probably looking towards the top of the table come the end of the year.”

If Wrexham are going to continue their unbeaten run in the league then they will have to perform a lot better than they did in the corresponding fixture last season.

The Reds, under Gary Mills, were beaten 3-0 and would have lost by a bigger margin had it not been for goalkeeper Shwan Jalal, with Rutherford admitting it was a forgettable afternoon.

“It was one of the worst days of my career if I am honest,” said Rutherford. “It was live on television and they absolutely battered us.

“Shwan was different class and it could have been six or seven if I am being brutally honest.

“It was miles from where we wanted to be and that one game probably summed up the season, it wasn’t good enough.

“It would be nice to go and put that right, set the record straight and show what Wrexham are about this year rather than last year.”

Wrexham go into the game on the back of a 1-0 defeat against AFC Fylde in Saturday’s FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie and Rutherford wants to make amends in the league.

“It was disappointing to lose, it would have been nice to progress in the cup,” said Rutherford. “Everyone knows how big a competition it is.

“It is a magical competition and it is disappointing that we went out but if you back it up with good league performances, it is soon forgotten and that is what we need to do.”

Rutherford dropped to the substitutes bench at Fylde, with Jack Mackreth starting, but he hopes to return against the Daggers.

“Jack is a good player and it is healthy to have that competition,” added Rutherford.

“Whether it was rested or tactical reasons, both of us will want to start tomorrow and hopefully it is me selected.”