Wigan And The FA Cup - A Match Made In Heaven.

The FA Cup. The competition that has in recent seasons, dwindled with regards to support and general interest amongst the general footballing community. So perhaps it was fitting that this seemingly unfashionable competition, was won by what can be described as a seemingly unfashionable club in Wigan Athletic. It rekindled memories of FA Cup campaigns past and the glory of the oldest competition in the world, restoring it to its former self.

In recent years it has been disregarded by the FA. Kick off times have been varied to factor in corporate sponsors, TV audiences and the far superior Champions League Final at Wembley. Fans have been alienated by the ticketing policy and the simple lack of consideration by the authorities towards them. But amongst all of that, it's terrific that Wigan, little old Wigan, has reminded us of what the FA Cup is all about.

Despite the kick off time, Saturday's match brought supporters back to a time when English football was dominated by rich owners and foreign investors. A club at the heart of the community, a club that remains grounded - a club that made the FA Cup feel pure again. 

If you ask supporters, they still care about the grand old competition very much. Especially lower league supporters. It gives them the opportunity to dream, the opportunity to go on an adventure and the opportunity to go on a once-in-a-lifetime rollercoaster ride against teams far mightier than their own. Crawley Town, Brentford and Macclesfield as well as all Conference clubs will vouch for that.

So it's even more refreshing that this year's winners know what that feels like. To taste victory in the way that they did is an amalgamation of 81 years of planning, toil and hard work. They've been to the depths of non-league; they know what it's like for the majority of the clubs in Britain. And that's what makes it even more special. Not only that but it provides a template for lower league clubs, something to aspire and look up to in the future which is perhaps a poignant part of Wigan's winning legacy.

It is perhaps even more fitting that Wigan's win should come in a year when sponsors Budweiser nearly tore the heart out of the competition completely. In the earlier rounds, they made a mockery of the cup, allowing former stars to ply their trade for Wembley FC in the preliminary rounds. Whilst it may be terrific for Wembley, it provided an unfair advantage against other clubs and what's more, almost made the cup a brand to be bought and sold as a product of promotion.

Wigan have turned Budweiser's theory on its head. You don't need world class players to do well, you need grit, determination and belief - something that the megastars of Manchester City lacked on Saturday evening. They looked disinterested as if it was just another medal for the trophy cabinet, which is why Wigan won. They wanted it more, they have that extra incentive to do it and to prove the doubters wrong - and for that I admire them. 

What makes it even better is that the goal was a mirror of Lawrie Sanchez's of Wimbledon against Liverpool in 1988. And similarly to that header, Ben Watson's flick has equal significance now. It gave the town something to cheer about, it gave football something to cheer about - a real success story that proves rewards can come to those who wait. And that budgeting correctly does in fact bring rewards, and they taste all the more sweet when they do come. 

This success in particular gives a spark of inspiration to those in a similar position to what Wigan were, all those years ago. There's nothing to counter the suggestion that with the right management and a small degree of investment, teams in the third division and below can't emulate the Latics' feat. And with Wigan's 1-0 victory, teams will firmly believe that such a feat is achievable.

In a sense I suppose you could say it was the Shabby Chic team that defeated the Shabby Sheikh himself. Wigan, the most unfashionable team in the land defeating the side that cruelly took promotion to the second division away from them 14 years previous. Not only is it a fantastic achievement for Wigan, but it's a fantastic achievement for football and for the FA Cup.

Remember, you can follow me on Twitter, @NickMurphyDRFC.

Millwall 5-0 Daggers.

Dagenham & Redbridge crashed out of the cup last night following a 5-0 defeat at The Den to an experienced Millwall side who bounced back in style following their 6-0 home defeat at the weekend. I'll just give a rough outline of the action as well as some pictures because recounting a whole thrashing isn't exactly pleasant.

The Lions first goal came from a rebound, Darius Henderson who was restored to the side after a few games out, curled the ball around a helpless Lewington into the bottom corner. First goal scored on 7 minutes and that really set the tone for the evening in terms of action.

Millwalls second game just before half time, Dominic Green giving the ball away to Henderson who played it across to Tottenham loan star Harry Kane. He took one touch out of his feet before hitting a daisycutter that flew past Lewington into the bottom corner. I think at this stage, the majority of us knew that this was not going to be our year to progress through to the fourth round.

We went in at half time two goals down, by all means it could have been worse. After the Daggers foray into the Millwall half within the opening five minutes, we'd shown little attacking promise. To be fair, our attack was blunt, Brian Woodall missing through injury and Montano cup tied left us with Jon Nurse playing seemingly as a lone striker which was not working. The extent of our injury woes were shown by Danny J Green getting a start, he hasn't even been near the fringes of the first eleven in recent weeks! We were then given our first look at Rob Edmans, coming on at half time for the anonymous Abdulla.

The Daggers had a couple of good chances to pull a goal back, Jon Nurse firing one high over the bar after a good Rob Edmans knock down; and then Edmans himself just missed out on equalising when a Millwall defender got to the ball before him in front of goal. Billy Bingham nearly caught out Forde in the Millwall goal, when his cross came close to looping under the bar and in, but the stopper punched it away for a corner. The final chance of the Daggers good spell of possession was a Danny Green shot, however his effort went horribly wide of the mark.

All this pressure of course, left us wide open at the back. This was inevitably exposed by our higher ranked opponents. Some good interchange between the impressive Kane and winger Feeney, saw Feeney bearing down on goal. However, he unselfishly squared the ball across to Henderson who was on hand to get his second of the game and the Lions' fifth, by tapping home into an empty net.

Darius Henderson then finished the game off from the spot after chief tormentor Harry Kane was brought down in the box by Femi. Henderson stepped up and dispatched the spot kick as he made it 4-0 which ensured he would get the match ball. The scoring was finally rounded off on 65 minutes, Henderson was involved once again, slinging a ball into the box which found the head of Kane to make it five and completely kill the game off. The link up play of Kane & Henderson was admirable, even if it was against a struggling league two side.

In summary, a pretty poor game in terms of performance, but it was something different. The main plus point for me was the introduction of Rob Edmans who could be the thing we need up front. A big target man for others to feed off of, at least the early signs look promising. A quick word on The Den as well. How steep was the stand we were in, because it felt shockingly high up! A very modern stadium, but one that made very good noise as the 'Wall fans showed when they scored, time, after time, after time.

Well done to the Daggers fans who made the trip to The Den yesterday as well. We took 542 supporters out of a terrible total of 3651. People just don't seem to care for the greatest cup competition in the world anymore. The 542 of us were in good voice throughout, but in particular the second half with an array of hilarious songs and a Poznan to boot. The Millwall fans enjoyed it and after a somewhat miserable performance, it cheered me and several others up. Well done to us as well, for drowning out the Hammers that were in attendance down the front. They started up the "follow over land & sea" chant, which really gave their position away and from then on in, they weren't given a say. Superb Daggers!

Infact, here are a couple of comments from Millwall fans, "They were also a good spirited bunch and made the whole of our stand laugh and clap them when they did their 'let's pretend we scored a goal' chant followed by the Man City style celebration....can't fault them, I'll be watching out for these lot now, I want them to do well. Another reads, "As a Millwall fan (a very gobby one at that) I never say this to other teams on their pages but I have to say, your fans cheered and sang through out, stayed until the end despite the score and that 'let's pretend we scored a goal' chant followed by a celebration was classic, had us in stitches. Well done. Both of those were from a Millwall fan on our unofficial facebook page by the name of Paige. Proud to be a Dagger!

We have more important things to worry about now after a good cup run, starting with a trip to Crewe at the weekend where we hope to continue our 100% record against the Railwaymen.

I will leave you with an assortment of pictures from the evening! Remember to follow me on Twitter, @NickDRFCMurphy.



The Dens welcoming turnstiles....



Hogan & Lewy warm up.



"Match Action"

My next report will be from Crewe, have a good week everyone.



Daggers 0-0 Millwall, Taming The Lions

Dagenham & Redbridge earned a replay at The Den after a credible 0-0 draw at home to Millwall in the FA Cup 3rd round. This also means the Daggers will be in the 4th Round draw live on ITV tomorrow for the first time in around 10 years.

Pre match and I was actually rather confident, we were unbeaten in five games, whilst Millwall had won just one in six I believe, moreover their away form had been far from spectacular. Add to that it's "The Magic Of The Cup", a potential upset was definitely on the cards! I have to admit, I've never seen so many police down Victoria Road, but such as the magnitude of the match I suppose they were needed. I got my ticket checked by a steward who made sure it wasn't a counterfeit before heading through the turnstiles at around 12:30. The Sieve was pretty much heaving as one of Dan Campbell's photo's from the day will tell you.

The teams were then announced as follows,

Dagenham & Redbridge: Lewington, Ogogo, Spillane, Doe, Femi, Wearen, Bingham, Abdulla, Nurse, Woodall, Green. Subs: Hogan, Rose, Arber, McCrory, Edmans, Reed, DJ Green.

The Daggers were without Kevin Maher after he broke his metatarsal against Southend in the last game meaning West Ham loanee Eoin Wearen came in to replace him. Cristian Montano was cup tied which enabled his fellow Hammers team mate Ahmed Abdulla to replace him after joining on loan along with Wearen this week. Abu Ogogo was back in the side at his natural position of right back meaning Richard Rose had to be content with a place on the bench. Mark Arber managed to get a place on the bench upon his return for injury, whilst Rob Edmans, Jake Reed & Damien McCrory were also amongst the seven subs after also returning from various injuries.

Millwall: Mildenhall, Dunne, Robinson, Barron, Ward, Smith, Trotter, Henry, Feeney, Marquis, Kane. Subs: Forde, Craig, Bouazza, McQuiod, Abdou, Wright, Batt.

Millwall welcomed back Scott Barron after missing out in the defeat against Bristol City in midweek, meaning that Tony Craig dropped to the bench. Defender Darren Ward also came back in to replace on loan Aston Villa player Shane Lowry who couldn't have had clearance from his parent side to play in the competition. There was also a straight swap in midfield as James Henry replaced Hamer Bouzza. The final change was the Marquis of Millwall replacing brother of Mark Wright, Josh Wright up front.

The ground began to fill up rapidly and that's when it hit me. The Millwall fans had come in fancy dress; as coppers. I can honestly say I've never seen so many of the old bill, there must have been over 50, some in riot gear "containing" the Millwall supporters. Always better to be safe than sorry eh?!

The teams did eventually come out to a rapturous round of applause, all four sides of the ground looked full to the brim, the Sieve was very lacking in space! Millwall won the toss and chose to change around, meaning the Daggers would be facing the Bury Road End in the opening 45, whilst Millwall would be attacking their own fans. A very apt statement considering Millwall's reputation. It was all geared up for a potential giant killing, the Sieve was so packed that the stewards didn't even allow people up the far end as there were too many people! How on earth our ground holds 6000 or so I will never know.



Daggers vs Millwall

 Millwall of the Championship started the brighter, Henry & Tottenham youngster Harry Kane testing Lewington, but no real problems caused. Kenny Jackett's men were enjoying the bulk of the possession as it was a case of the Daggers showing their higher ranked opponents slightly too much respect. The Lions continued their pressure by forcing a corner which was cleared well by Woodall, the Daggers in form player at the moment. At this stage the travelling fans launched into a rendition of their well known "hum", I honestly don't know what else to describe it as.

A quarter of an hour played and the Daggers launched their first attack of the contest. Millwall tried to play the ball out, but it was intercepted by Femi who has shown vast improvement from last season. He then drove at the Millwall defence who all stood off him, before launching a powerful shot from about 25 yards out which cleared Mildenhall's crossbar. A good attempt from the youngster who's yet to net his first goal for John Still's men. When it comes though, you can be sure that there will be mass celebration from the Sieve.

Millwall then came dangerously close to taking the lead. Another James Henry corner on 20 minutes, found the unmarked captain Paul Robinson who could only contrive to head wide of the mark. I for one thought it was in, but thankfully his glancing header just didn't go in the right direction. Minutes later and Liam Feeney who was getting booed every time he received the ball broke into Chris Lewingtons area. Feeney who nearly signed for the Daggers years ago, should have really got his effort on target, but he hammered it into the side netting, much to Lewingtons relief. Harry Kane then came close in another phase of play, but he could only direct his header over the bar. Thirty minutes played and Millwall were enjoying far more of the ball and the better of the chances.



Daggers Free Kick

 Dagenham & Redbridge then began to get themselves into the game and force some shots on the goal. The first was from loan player Ahmed Abdulla, who had been relatively anonymous for the previous 35 minutes. His shot from outside of the box went wide of the mark, a speculative effort, but one that got the pulses racing somewhat. The Daggers then managed to earn themselves a free kick after a poor challenge from a Millwall player about 30 yards out. Dominic Green stepped over the ball and smashed it high over the bar in Gavin Tomlinesque fashion. I can't help but feel he probably should have crossed the ball, a number of our players have good aerial ability, a good chance gone begging.

Minutes later & the Daggers got another chance from a dead ball situation. This time Brian Woodall & Mickey Spillane both hung over the ball which was in a much more central position. Former Gresley man Woodall stepped up to take it, he didn't get enough power behind the shot and it was gathered easily by Mildenhall. The final attempt of the half was just before the whistle went, Abdulla trying to curl one into the bottom corner, however it went wide of the mark meaning the sides went in 0-0 at the break.

Overall, a very mediocre first 45, but I was quite happy to go into the break at level pegging. Millwall had dominated the early stages as we'd shown them far too much respect, but after the 30 minute mark it was all Dagenham. We were attacking them just as John Still said we would, true to his word once more. The loan players gradually got into the game more and more, Abdulla getting a few half chance shots away whilst Wearen looked composed on the ball, nearly threading several passes through to the strikers, however they were just over hit. Billy Bingham was looking like the main man once more, his energy and speed of closing down in the middle was superb. Femi & Spillane were also having good games at the back, managing to keep the Millwall attackers & wingers at bay.



Millwall Kick Off

 The second half started with a very fast pace. Jon Nurse nearly nipping in, to get the ball past Mildenhall before being flagged for offside. It wouldn't have mattered as Nurse's prodded effort was saved by the chest of the former Southend stopper. Minutes later however and the Daggers had the best chance of the match so far. A ball was played back to Mildenhall between the sticks which was chased down by Woodall, the 'keeper fluffed his kick thanks to a bobble which allowed Woodall to nip in. Unfortunately the ball was right on the byline, meaning Woodall could only cross the ball into the box, but unbelievably no one was there to slot it in to an open net. A superb chance for the Daggers and one that shouldn't have really been wasted. Great work by Woodall once more.

The game was now becoming more end to end and John Marquis nearly gave the Lions a goal lead. He got down the left hand side before dribbling into the box where he let fly a fierce shot that hit Lewingtons side netting. A stupid decision to try and fit it in near post, when going for a shot towards the far post would have been a far better option. From Lewingtons goal kick Jon Nurse won a corner up the other end after smashing the ball of an opponents shin. The ball came in from the near side and found Spillane unmarked at the back post whose first time volley was blocked well by a defender. The ball came out to him for a second crack, another shot, but this time it was palmed behind by Mildenhall to avert the danger. The closest the Daggers had came so far. Brian Woodall then came close minutes later from inside the box, but his shot went just past the post.

It was then Millwall's turn to attack once more. Former Wolves defender Darren Ward putting a shot over the bar from a corner when he really should have done better. Just after that on 57 minutes, Scott Barron hit a shot that went just wide of the post to jangle the Daggers fans nerves once more as Millwall came back into the game. Kenny Jackett then made his first change of the game, Hamer Bouazza coming on for Liam Feeney. A change which surprised me a bit to say the least. Just after the sub Millwall squandered the best chance of the game so far. Some good work by Barron down the left saw him put a delightful ball in which found Liam Trotter. Like the plonker he is, the unmarked Trotter could only direct the ball over the bar when he really should have found the back of the net. We were seriously riding our luck here.

Mickey Spillane.

John Still then made his first change of the afternoon. West Ham youngster Eoin Wearen who had a slightly anonymous debut, was replaced by Jake Reed who had been out with various injuries for two or three months. Brian Woodall was then hauled down as he was heading towards goal which resulted in a yellow card for the captain of Millwall, Paul Robinson. From the resulting free kick the Daggers nearly scored, Jon Nurse knocked it down and just as Jake Reed was lurking to turn it in, a Millwall defender done well to get it away and set up a potential counter attack. 'Wall then made their second change of the match as they were seemingly going for the win. Former Bournemouth striker Josh McQuoid replaced Marquis who had been involved in a lot of the action all afternoon. (Mickey Spillane challanging for the ball, right)

On 70 minutes Jon Nurse came close once more, but could only hook his shot above the bar and onto the roof of the net, much to our disappointment. I have to admit, I wasn't impressed with Nursey at all. He seems to have lost that energy and willingness to hunt down defenders that made him a hit last season. Too many people are afraid to criticise him and I know it's a big call to make, but unless he seriously improves in the second half of the season I'm beginning to wonder if he'll be at Victoria Road next season.

Minutes later and Millwall had a very good shout for a penalty in my opinion. Liam Trotter went down when challenged in the box and my first instincts were that it was a penalty, luckily however, Mr Salisbury didn't agree with me and didn't give anything. Chris Lewington picked the ball up and smashed it up field, I personally thought we'd really got away with one there! Straight back up the other end and Billy Bingham managed to get two shots away, both of which were blocked after Jake Reed went on a great run from inside the centre circle.

Kenny Jackett then made their final sub of the encounter. Harry Kane who had been a bit of a nuisance although it may not seem like it from reading my report, was replaced by former Dagger, lanky Shaun Batt. It was infact Batt who nearly won the game as we edged closer to the final whistle. He got down the left hand side and fooled Spillane before cutting inside and running into the box. His attempt on goal was blocked by the head of Scott Doe, which saw it go out for a throw in on the far side. The final shot of the game was by Ahmed Abdulla who was down the right hand side, he shimmied before hitting a purler which went wide of the post, when playing the ball to an unmarked Woodall beside him would have been a far better decision.

The final whistle blew and a great cheer went up from the Sieve, we'd managed to hold Championship side Millwall to a very credible draw, moreover we'd reconvene at the Den in a week or so's time to do battle once more. Another ground for many of us to tick off and it should be a very interesting experience.

Today I was very impressed with a few individuals. Firstly, Femi. I gave this lad so much stick last year, but I've been made to eat my words tenfold with his superb performances this season. He made several fantastic challenges in the game and was brilliantly composed at the back and going forward, my man of the match and I have to say this lad will go far. Mickey Spillane was also superb, the centre half pairing he's forged with Scott Doe is rock solid and I have to say to Mark Arber, it's going to be very hard for you to get back into the team sir!

Another one that impressed me was Billy Bingham, you all know of my love for the midfield maestro and once again he had a top draw performance. He was the central figure in the midfield and he ran the show once more, the engineroom and he didn't stop all day, another superb individual performance from the former Crystal Palace trainee. Dominic Green was deadly on the wing, a real key player for us. His trickery bamboozled the Millwall defenders on many occasions and he's not shy of a shot, if we're to win at the Den on Tuesday week, I feel Dom will be the man that gets us the goal.

Of the rest, Abdulla got into the game as it went on and he looked very composed on the ball, when he sorts out his judgement he'll be a better player. He's young though and it was his first game with us, it's to be expected at the end of the day. Jake Reed also impressed me when he came on, troubling defenders significantly and he was unlucky to slip at the last moment when running through on goal. A good return from injury.

Also a word to the police and stewards, they done a superb job with stopping any trouble that may have occurred. I personally thought there may have been a few too many, and the police helicopter hovering overhead was a little to much, but they done very well and they should be credited so well done to them.

Next up for us is Hereford United at home once more next Saturday, a somewhat unusual 15:00 kick off after all of these different times recently. We then go to The New Den a week on Tuesday subject to TV coverage for the replay, to find out who plays, *insert name here.*

A thank you to Daniel Campbell who let us use several of his pictures to make the Blog more interesting. Follow me on Twitter, @NickDRFCMurphy. Thanks for reading and I'll address you again next week!

Daggers 1-1 Walsall, Buried Under A Big "W".

Dagenham & Redbridge held Walsall 1-1 at Victoria Road to take the cup tie back to the Banks' Stadium as one team may progress through to the first round and pick up a money spinning tie. As for the title reference; if you haven't see "It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World" or a Simpsons parody; then you won't understand it!

Pre match there was something that made me quietly optimistic; I don't know what it was, but I thought we could beat Walsall if we played to our potential. Saying that if we were to play like we had been of late, they'd be laughing all the way home. I rocked up to the esteemed home of football at around 2:30 and went straight in; programme & 50/50 ticket in hand of course. I met up with Wilson & Hodgson in the Sieve before getting myself a burger and having a flick of the programme. One pleasant change from the week before was the weather, it was dry! The ground wasn't even filling up quickly and by 2:50 it looked more than half empty; even the announcer didn't turn up until five minutes before the match!

The teams were then announced with a couple of surprises in store...
Dagenham & Redbridge Team: Shea, Rose, Doe, Spillane, Femi, Nurse, Scannell, Ogogo, Gain, Scott, Woodall.         Subs: Hogan, McCrory, Elito, Maher, Bingham, Tomlin, Walsh.
James Shea replaced Chris Lewington in goal, who was apparently ill, whilst Femi shifted to left back as Spillane took a centre half partnership with Scott Doe; meaning Damien McCrory was on the bench. Damien Scannell replaced Cristian Montano who was cup tied; whilst Adam Cunnington was also cup tied, was replaced by Josh Scott who was making start since Southampton away in November 2010.

Walsall Team: Walker, Sadler, Lancashire, Smith, Beevers, Chambers, Taundry, Nicholls, Halliday, Grigg, Macken.       Subs: Grof, Butler, Gnakpa, Peterlin, Jarvis, Peterson, Bowerman.
The Saddlers made only one change from their 0-0 draw at Stevenage a week previous, Andrew Halliday replaced Mark Wilson who was recalled by parent club Doncaster Rovers during the week.

The teams came out roughly bang on three and we all participated in a minutes applause in honour of club groundsman George Tucker, club stalwarts Stan Cope & Jim Lewis as well as Gary Speed, who died last Sunday. All four will be missed and I send out my condolences to their families and friends.

For the first time in god knows how many weeks, we didn't swap ends! So the Daggers would be attacking the Traditional Builders Stand and Walsall the Bury Road End. Most of the early action revolved around Damien Scanell putting balls into the box and 88 year old Jimmy Walker coming to collect them with the minimum of trouble. Good signs nonetheless. Just after the ten minute mark, the Daggers continued with their dominance, Damien Scannell & Josh Scott both hitting against the side netting in quick succession to further raise hopes around three sides of the ground.

The Daggers then came close with two headers; the first was after Damien Scannell stuck in a free kick. It found the head of Brian Woodall who has scored twice with his nut already in this competition; his "diving" header could only find the grateful hands of Jimmy Walker. Then minutes later a thrown in found the head of Scannell who seemed to be at the centre of the action; his header was palmed out for a corner by Walker. A few minutes later, Walsall got their first shot of the game. Mat Sadler was given the ball for the Saddlers (oh the irony), but his speculative shot with the outside of the boot drifted harmlessly wide of Shea's far post. I nearly forgot Shea was playing he was that busy!



You can kind of see the Walsall fans.

 Brian Woodall & Will Grigg then traded shots from 35 yards, both of which were speculative, the difference was that Woodall's forced Walker into a save. From the corner, the ball was cleared to Ogogo who's header from 20 yards nearly found its way over the former West Ham stopper; but he just about got finger tips too it. The corner found the head of Josh Scott who could only manage to send his effort high over the bar and into the 259 Warsaw supporters who made a superb effort travelling from Poland. Oh come on, I had to get that joke in somewhere! Before this little attack, I should mention that the Daggers were playing it around on the floor and it just showed how effective we are when we play good football.

Towards the end of the half Dean Smiths men began to slowly edge into the contest, with Will Grigg's shot being blocked by Femi. Just before the half time whistle James Shea was called into action, Jon Macken played Lee Beevers through; his shot was fisted over the bar by the on loan Arsenal stopper. "Damn" said Beevers. I'll get my coat...

That was the last action of the first half and the sides went in level. You'd imagine that Walsall were the happier having not conceded under the Daggers pressure, but at the same time I was overjoyed at the half we'd had. We looked confident, composed and up for it and at the end of the day, we were unlucky to not be ahead; Jimmy Walker was having a good game inbetween the sticks for them. What a difference Josh Scott was making for us though; it probably wasn't all down to him, but the team seemed more of a team with him there. Just shows what we've been missing.

The team came back out for the second half and the dark of night began to descend over Victoria Road; meaning it was time for the floodlights to come on. Dagenham & Redbridge would be attacking the Bury Road End whilst Walsall would be facing their own fans in the Traditional Builders Stand. The first action of the second half was once again concerning Scannell, who prodded a poor shot towards goal which I don't need to tell you went harmlessly wide of the mark.

Walsall were beginning to get into the game a bit more after a Will Grigg cross bypassed everyone and went out for a James Shea goal kick. Andrew Halliday then got a shot away which was saved well by Shea, just after Walsall attacked again and former Manchester City striker Jon Macken hit a shot wide of the mark when under pressure from around six yards out. Dean Smith then made his first change of the afternoon, Claude Gnakpa coming on for Andrew Halliday on the 60 minute mark.



Nurse receiving treatment.

 Just a minute after Halliday was taken off, the Daggers went on the attack. Jon Nurse who had scored twice in the replay against Bath City in the previous round got a shot away that didn't really trouble Walker. It was then straight up the other end as a Manny Smith header was cleared off the line by Richard Rose to keep the scoreline at 0-0. The game was now becoming more end to end and Scannell kept it at a fast pace by coming onto a neat lay off from Woodall before firing the ball straight down Walker's throat.

Dean Smith then made his second change of the afternoon. Will Grigg who was a thorn in the Daggers side the last time these two met, was replaced by George Bowerman, making his first appearance since he had come back from his loan at Conference North club Redditch United. This substitution was made during the time that Scott Doe was receiving treatment by John Gowens, after being involved in a 50/50 collision. After play restarted, Damien Scannell was involved once more; some good work down the left by Jon Nurse saw him swing a ball in which found, "Scanz" head. His header went wide of the target as the game remained at 0-0 going into the final 20 minutes of the match.

Then of course, came the obligatory undeserved away goal for Walsall. Mat Sadler made the running down the right before crossing in to an unmarked Claude Gnakpa who somehow managed to head between James Shea and the post. On my current view, I'd say that Shea probably should have done better, but I'll have to watch it back to say that 100%. A slightly undeserved goal really, but a goal nonetheless; it sent the Sieve quiet and the TB Stand delirious. Dagenham & Redbridge 0-1 Walsall with 15 minutes still to play.



Just before Nurse's goal.

 On 80 minutes, John Stills side equalised in sensational fashion. The ball fell to Jon Nurse on the left hand side, he cut in and turned his marker before running into the box. Just inside the box he pulled the trigger and curled an absolute beauty into the far corner of the net, leaving Jimmy Walker helpless and the Daggers fans legless. Billy described it as "Sam Saundersesque", that's how good it was. The Sieve went potty as we all had a stupendous view of it, right behind Nursey, we saw that screamer go in from right behind it. Sensational. Superlatives & adjectives escape me! Oh and it was now 1-1 with ten minutes left to play.

Straight from the kick off the Daggers won the ball and began to attack again with the crowd egging them on. From a cross the ball broke to Peter Gain who famously only scores every leap year, he hit a strike that was hitting the target before a Walsall defender got a block away and the ball went out for a throw in. This was the cue for a flurry of substitutions. Gavin Tomlin replaced the tiring Scannell who had a fairly good game, whilst Brian Woodall came off to be replaced by Phil Walsh who was stuck up front for the final five! Walsall also made their third and final change, Ryan Jarvis coming on for Jon Macken as they pushed for a winner as well.



Jarvis was sent off.

 The fourth official indicated a minimum of four minutes of added on time as Scott Doe got an imperative block from a George Bowerman shot. Half way into the added on time and Ryan Jarvis was dismissed for an apparent elbow on Mickey Spillane. I'm not sure whether it was an elbow, but Spillane was on the floor which suggests it was a bad one; the referee had no hesitation in brandishing the red card to send Jarvis packing just ten or so minutes since coming on. He received a fair bucket of abuse from his own fans as he walked back down the tunnel.

The final action of the game was a Gavin Tomlin free kick that was cleared by the Walsall defenders. The final score was 1-1 meaning we will travel to the Banks Stadium in mid December to find out who faces whatever team we draw in the 3rd round.

To sum it up, a pulsating game and probably one of the better performances of the season so far against a side that we have to remember are infact a league above ourselves. Walsall were very poor on the day and I'm sure they know that, George Bowerman looks like a great prospect for them, that's probably the one thing I'd give them from the encounter.

For us though, it was great seeing Josh Scott last a whole 90 minutes and the effect he had was clear, winning flick on's and getting various shots away; I can't wait to see him play against Port Vale next week! Nursey scored a terrific goal, but other than that was somewhat anonymous once more. Abu Ogogo was superb in the midfield, making several trademark crunching tackles and winning the ball in the process; whilst the partnership of Spillane & Doe at centre half looks a very safe one at the moment.

My man of the match however, is Brian Woodall. He may not have scored, but the confidence and belief he showed today is worthy of an accolade; you can see from his two goals that he has new found life. Do I believe he should be in the team week in and week out at the moment? No I do not. He needs experience at a lower level like the Conference first, but the job he's done for such a young and inexperienced lad is superb and he should be credited for that.

We will reconvene at Walsall on either the 13th or 14th of December subject to TV Coverage once more and as spooky as it may sound, this game has a massive chance of being on the box. Only four replays so far and one of those is an all non league clash. Whether it's on TV or not, expect another interesting game, probably rounded off with a Will Grigg goal in a 1-0 Walsall win on 83 minutes after Damien Scannell misses a sitter. The draw for round three takes place after the conclusion of the AFC Totton vs Bristol Rovers match tomorrow on ITV1. I won't tell you our number to leave an element of surprise.


Next up at home for us is Port Vale on Saturday or Stanway Rovers in the Essex Senior Cup depending on how highly you rate the County Cup.


Follow me on Twitter, @NickDRFCMurphy. Other than that, have a good week before I speak to you next Saturday!

Daggers 1-1 Bath City, Not Quite An Early Bath.

For the first time in quite a few years, we got ourselves a very winnable tie with all due respect to Bath City, but being Dagenham & Redbridge and being in this current rut; it was never going to end happily was it. The answer to that is no as we drew 1-1 against the Romans, not the worst result in the world but by no means the best.

Pre match I was quite confident, we needed to stop our poor run and playing a side bottom of the Conference should really be the way to do that. I'm very sure Bath saw it as a game they could win after looking at our form so it was finely poised. I arrived in the ground just five minutes before kick off and went to join my compatriots in the Sieve before we had the minutes silence and a superb march by several veterans accompanied by a trumpet solo. A truly fitting way to start the game and a well observed minutes silence with no interruptions.

The teams lined up as follows:
Dagenham & Redbridge Team: Lewington, Rose, Femi, Walsh, McCrory, Scannell, Gain, Ogogo, DJ Green, Nurse, Woodall. Subs: Shea, Bingham, Green, Scott, Okus, Scott. The big news for Dagenham that Scott was on the bench, with our current injury crisis we were only able to field a bench of 6 rather than 7.

Bath City Team: Garner, Simpson, Rollo, Jones, Cook, Gallinagh, Connolly, Watkins, Burnell, Russell, Canham. Subs: Matthews, Preece, Clough, Stonehouse, Murray, Phillips, Carvalho-Landell. Bath had Hogg & the other Canham brother both unavailable due to a suspension they picked up in the 2-2 draw against Grimsby a week previous. Replacing the two suspended players were Jamie Cook & Alex Russell.

Phil Walsh received a good round of applause from the 130 odd Bath City supporters housed in the Barking College Stand, Walshy had a spell at Twerton Park where he played 87 games scoring 15 goals in the process. On that note, well done to the Bath supporters, I know we weren't the tie you was looking for, but you made a decent amount of noise and looked like you were enjoying it throughout!

Bath City kicked the game off, attacking the Bury Road Terrace whilst the Daggers would be firing towards the eerily empty Traditional Builders Stand. The first shot of the game was from DJ Green who managed to just drag it wide without really drawing in a Bath City defender. We did actually have a couple of stoppages within the opening ten minutes, both for head injuries. Abu Ogogo went in low and got a boot for his troubles, whilst Alex Russell also ended up getting a knock to the head from a collision.

The first real chance of the game came from a Damien McCrory corner which was swung in towards the back post. Phil Walsh got his head to it and forced a Bath player to partially clear it off the line before Richard Rose hit a tame volley that was just about gathered by Glyn Garner between the sticks.



Sean Canham. http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/

 Then however, came Bath Citys goal. A ball through looked easy enough to deal with for Femi, before he slipped and allowed Canham to race through and slot past Lewington with ease to give the Romans a goal lead on 11 minutes. Of course their support went loopy and rightfully so, whilst the Daggers were left with an all to familiar story of conceding first thanks to a defending mistake, although a slip is just one of those things at the end of the day.

The Daggers then went on the attack once more looking to find an instant response, firstly Nurse fired over from a Woodall cross, before Woodall himself headed just wide of the target. Another corner followed just minutes later, once again the chance created by a head back from Walsh was saved well on the line before being blocked and eventually finding it's way back into Garner's hands.. Bath were under severe pressure, but their defence was managing to hold firm. Damien Scannell then created a fantastic chance; some good work down the right enabled him to beat a defender and put in a superb low ball across the area, which was gambled upon by no one.

Bath City then went forward themselves, looking most threatening down the right, but luckily for the Daggers; no real clear cut opportunity to tell you about. Straight back up the other end and Danny J Green weaved in and out of several players before fashioning himself a chance that was blocked once more by a Bath defender. Then a set up from Ogogo gave Scannell a chance to take a shot, unfortunately he blasted it high into the Traditional Builders Stand when he really should have done better.



Woodall. http://www.gresleyfc.com/

 On 40 minutes, the Daggers did find the deserved equaliser. Jon Nurse got down the left and flighted a good ball in which found the head of the somewhat anonymous Woodall who gleefully glanced it home past Garner to net his first Dagenham & Redbridge goal. Cue celebrations in the Sieve, not only had we responded, but it was the first time in about three matches that we had found the back of the net. Well done to the Bath supporters though, they stayed in good voice.

That was the end of the half effectively, the four minutes of injury time had no incident other than a free kick which came to nothing. During the break I had a read of Josh Scotts interview as well as doing the idiotic thing of booking the coach to Accrington Stanley for 2 weeks time. Some of you may call me mad...... you are right! The fog began to descend upon Victoria Road, along with that came the cold; so like a softy I decided it was time to wear my jacket! The teams came out for the second half and the fans looked as though they had a renewed sense of optimism. The Daggers kicked off the second half attacking the Bury Road Terrace, with Bath kicking towards the Traditional Builders Stand. One change before we kicked off though, Jim Rollo was replaced by Charlie Clough for Bath City.

The first real incident of the second half came about 10 minutes in. Marley Watkins was sent racing through by Jamie Cook whilst the Daggers defence were asleep. Chris Lewington who hadn't had anything to do previous to this rushed out and as Watkins was going round him; Lewy's out stretched leg caught him and the referee blew for a free kick. Luckily, there were two defenders covering and it was outside the box, which meant a free kick for Bath rather than a penalty and a yellow card rather than a red for Lewington; much to the Romans' fans dismay. The free kick was blocked well by the Daggers wall, moreover the danger was averted.

A few minutes later and Peter Gain was in the referee's book for a rash challenge. From that free kick that came to nothing, the Daggers managed to form a superb break away. The ball was played between DJ Green & Nurse I believe, eventually going out for a corner. It was whipped in towards the back post where Gain & Walsh both tried to meet it, whoever did meet it sent it just over the top and out for a goal kick. Bath did actually go forward considerably more, but never really threatened Lewington or the Daggers goal. One of their most speculative attempts was by a midfielder who tried to lob Lewington from 60 yards or so, a very valiant attempt that just went over the bar; Lewington was in trouble if it was on target!



Josh Scott comes on.

 The Bath right midfielder (apologies I don't know his name) broke down the right hand side and forced a punch over the bar from Lewington after a good driving run into the box. The corner was eventually cleared away and the pressure was gone from the Daggers goalmouth. Then came the introduction of two subs on about 75 minutes. Damien Scannell was replaced by Dominic Green, but then the big one. Brian Woodall was taken off for Josh Scott, when his name and number was read out, it produced the biggest cheer of the afternoon, hopefully he could salvage the victory for us.

Sean Canham then forced Lewington into another save at his near post which went out for a corner. From the corner, the Daggers broke, Peter Gain down the right hand side, however when he handed the possession over to Danny J Green; he lost the ball; cue groans from the Sieve. Bath City then made a sub of their own, their most influential player in Sean Canham being replaced by Lee Phillips. The Daggers then broke after Bath City were attacking once again. Jon Nurse going on a solo run down the left hand side before winning a corner for his troubles. The corner was once again put in by McCrory, but the header from Josh Scott just found its way onto the roof of the net.

The Romans then came so close to booking their place in the second round of the cup. A corner was punched poorly by Lewington straight to Alex Russell who also had a good game. His shot was going in before Lewington dived back across to keep it out and preserve the 1-1 scoreline going into 3 minutes of injury time. The last action of the game was a free kick to the Daggers which went into the box but came to nothing whatsoever. The referee finally blew up and it was confirmed that we would meet Bath again in a week and a bit at Twerton Park.

I'm not really sure if either club wanted the replay, especially as it's more than likely not going to be a TV game, meaning not much income will be generated. Bath have a fantastic chance of going through now, as our away form has been poor and we may well be there for the taking, however maybe we'll play how we know we can and produce the victory that will be "expected" of us by neutrals. One thing I will say to Bath is this, don't expect an abundance of Daggers supporters, a Tuesday night coupled with our poor form will mean a poor turnout from us.

One thing I will say from today is this, it was the same old wasn't it. The first half we looked quite menacing, whilst in the second half we were very poor. One thing that I do believe John Still should be doing, is making subs with about 20 minutes to go if we want to change the game. I don't think that shouting mindless abuse at him will make him do it though, it only succeeds in you wasting your breath and disheartening the players on the pitch.



Bath City packing out the Barking College Stand.



Bath City, I thought you played admirably for your fans. There may have only been 130 odd of you, but you made good noise and supported your team well. Without doubt Sean Canham was the best player, although I thought your resilient defence was also credible.

Next up for us is Southend United next Saturday, a very tough encounter with a side that sit top of the league. That's followed by Bath City away in the Cup Replay on the 22nd, dependant on TV coverage and then a nice long away trip to The Crown Ground to face Accrington Stanley.

Oh to be a Dagger......

Remember to follow me on Twitter, @NickDRFCMurphy