Norwich City1

Abbey 90

Daggers0

(FA Cup Fourth Round)

WHEN you're young, you learn that football is a 'funny old game', but it's only as you get older that you find out that it can also be gutwrenchingly cruel on occasions as well. Unfortunately, this lesson was taught once more to the Daggers on Saturday as they exited the FA Cup after a last minute goal at Carrow Road.

As the clock had hit 90, substitute Zema Abbey snatched the tie from the Daggers. In fact, had the Canaries robbed them at gunpoint it couldn't have been more cruel.

On a day when all eleven Daggers played to their best, none shone more so than Tony Roberts: there are simply no superlatives to describe his performance. Should he be feeling dejected, he should take heart in the threads and threads of messages on football chat rooms all over the country singing his praises, none more so than on the Daggers own message board where you can't move for Dagenham fans thanking him or Norwich supporters asking how the Daggers have managed to net themselves such a catch.

Roberts first task came just 90 seconds into the game as David Nielsen's low shot meant he had to dive low to push the ball round the post for a corner.

Danny Shipp then responded as Junior McDougald dragged the ball back for him to unleash a shot, which was palmed away for a corner.

Darel Russell then tested Roberts from 20 yards out, but once again the former Wales keeper swooped down on the shot to keep Norwich out.

It was then time for heroics from Steve Heffer 23 minutes in, as his last ditch tackle denied Gary Holt a shot. Then Russell tried his luck again with a long range effort which was once again held by Roberts.

Paul McVeigh was the next in line to test Roberts, but he lofted his shot to chest height and the Daggers keeper plucked it out of the air with ease.

Down the other end, the Daggers were holding their own as Steve West's 25 yard free kick was heading for the back of the net until Robert Green saved well.

The tackle of the game has to go to Shipp as he raced back and stole the ball from Nielsen's boots just as he was about to take a swing at goal.

As the second half began, Steve West met John McGrath's header in the middle of the box but glanced it wide to continue the end-to-end encounter.

Junior looked certain to claim his customary FA Cup goal as he raced through the Norwich defence, but his shot was easily gathered by Green.

And then heartbreak. No sooner had the fourth official signalled that there was to be four added minutes, Adam Drury swung in a cross from the left side of the box, which deflected off of Mark Smith and fell kindly in front of goal.

There waiting was Abbey, who scrambled his foot to the ball to stun the Daggers and have the Canaries breathe a sigh of relief.DAGGERS: Roberts, Smith, Heffer, Matthews, Vickers, Shipp, Janney, Terry, McGrath (sub: Rooney 70), West (Stein 89), McDougald

January 30, 2003 10:30