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| Aldershot Town 0 Daggers 4 |
| FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round - 26/10/02 |
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The Daggers came into this game expecting a tough test and it ended up easier than first imagined after home keeper Bull was sent off just before half-time. Fletcher failed a fitness test, and Mayo was not in the squad. This meant Stein could make his comeback from suspension, and Bruce could also come back after his knee-cap injury.
The game was fairly even for much of the first half, as the Daggers started better and faded a little. Bruce fired two volleys wide of the goal when charging onto the ball from outside the box, neither threatening the keeper. However, Janney had tested the keeper as he was forced into pushing a cross over the bar, and then Shipp also forced a good save out of the keeper with a looping header that he pushed away. Robbo had some shots to deal with, although only one forced a good save. He easily gathered Ready's header and also easily caught two long-range curlers. He was forced to push away a left foot shot though which was heading into his far bottom corner.
The Daggers held firm for the most part though as the Shots failed to really break their visitors down. The away side seemed happy to bide their time, and their chance came just before half-time. Stein was put through and as he tried to round the keeper, Bull made sure he didn't with a forceful slide into the Daggers' striker which meant he had to be replaced at half time due to injury. Although he wasn't happy, there was no choice but to send him off, and Junior sent the makeshift striker-come-goalie Moody the wrong way to open the scoring.
Danny Hill came on for the second half for the injured Stein as the Daggers found more space to play in. However, the home side, to their credit, battled on and broke away several times without really having a decent effort to show for it. And just after the hour, the Daggers made another breakthrough. Danny Hill turned the defender and although his block seemed to involve a hand, it did not worry Hill who came into the box and lashed a left-foot shot past the hapless Moody. By now, Aldershot had run out of puff and their only decent effort was a lay-back which was blasted wide from the edge of the box.
Shipp tried his luck on a couple of occasions and he couldn't manage to hit the target, but Bruce mad it three within two minutes of Hill's goal. His free-kick from 20 yards curled over the wall, and the keeper didn't get across very well and his hand only helped the ball into the corner of the net. The Daggers were now rampany as they sensed every shot was a goal, and it didn't take long for a free-kick to be put in by Hill for Matthews to steam in and hit the net with a right-foot shot. The Daggers now completely eased off, and it was just a keep-ball exercise for the remaining 20 minutes. Had it not been for Bull's moment of madness, it could have been closer, but Aldershot were failing to create and the Daggers seemed in control throughout.
The result was however marred by several idiots who infiltrated the away section of the ground and started a fight midway into the first half. They were suprisingly not thrown out and instead ushered into the home section. Then after the game, the away fans were held in the ground for 10 minutes rather than be allowed to go the coaches and then let the Aldershot fans out. This meant several home 'fans' could have the chance to wait for the Daggers to exit, and although some did, they soon left after one fell off a barrier and broke his ankle. Shame.
Steve Heffer 
Mark Stein 
Junior 
Danny Hill 
Steve West 
Mark Rooney