Colchester United go through to the fourth round of the Essex Senior Cup after beating Dagenham and Redbridge 1-1 (3-5), it was a perfect display from the five penalty takers and Ted Collins who made the save that allowed the U's to win the game.
The U’s instantly made an impact and in the first minute really should have made the score 1-0, but a fantastic double save from Harry Dixon in the Dagenham and Redbridge goal denied Ihionvien from getting the early advantage.
The U’s were probing early on, having two clear cut chances within the first ten minutes, this time Fevrier makes a fantastic run down the left hand side, skinning his defender in the process, he ran into the box and Bioletti who elected to shoot first time, skying the ball just over.
Fevrier seemed incredibly keen to impress as he continued to make brilliant runs down the right-hand side, he had another chance on the stroke of the 20th minute, he picked the ball up on the edge of the box and smashed a low driven shot towards goal, it whistled just wide of the post.
Dagenham and Redbridge couldn’t keep the left winger quiet, his pace and power was too much for the host’s defenders, however the forward struggled to find the net, his next chance was right on thirty minutes, Ihionvien and Fevrier combined nicely on the counter attack and the winger cut inside to line up the shot, however this time he fired the ball over the bar.
In the forty-first minute it was Dagenham and Redbridge to draw first blood, Jay Bird picked the ball up on the edge of the box and had a go, it was a great shot, placed perfectly in the corner giving Ted Collins no chance. It was a low shot to the left of the goal.
After half time The Daggers kept the pressure on, Jay bird was on the hunt for his second and the hosts had taken up the counterattack game plan, they were very quick in the transition and Bird had a go on the edge of the area, just shooting wide of the mark.
In the seventy-seventh minute the U’s equalised, the goal came against the run of play, the U’s had a corner and it was a perfect ball from Lordon Akolbire, Harry Beadle managed to get his head to it as he fired home.
The game seemed to peter out after the U’s equaliser, and with penalties looming it felt like an inevitability. The full time whistle went and penaltiues came, it was a perfect display from the U’s penalty takers, with Lowe, Marshall Miranda, Sayer, Thomas and Ihionvien scoring the penalties and Ted Collins getting down to save the Dagger’s fourth shot to win it for the U’s.
Starting XI –
- Ted Collins 3. Benny Bioletti (Lordon Akolbire) 5. Harry Beadle 19. Tom Dallison (Frankie Terry 21. Ryan Clampin 4. Ryan Lowe 14. Marley Marshall Miranda 10. Donell Thomas 11. Jayden Fevrier (Kaan Bennett) 7. Harvey Sayer 9. Brad Ihionvien.
Substitutes –
- Jamie Tedaldi 12. Kacy Parish