FA Cup: Dagenham & Redbridge 3 Grimsby Town 1
A brace from striker Scott Wilson and a late Mitch Brundle sealed Dagenham & Redbridge’s progress into the second round of the FA Cup for the first time since the 2015/16 season.
Wilson opened the scoring before Owen Windsor levelled the score from the spot but the former bagged his second of the match in the 90th minute of play before Mitch Brundle also dispatched a penalty to put the Daggers in the hat at Victoria Road.
Manager Daryl McMahon made just one change to the team that suffered a 2-1 defeat to Maidenhead United in the league with Myles Weston returning from injury to replace George Saunders who was dropped to the bench for the tie.
The visitors started on the front foot, knocking the ball about nicely, but McMahon’s men pressed forward whenever Town tried to play out from the back.
Against the run of play in the 10th minute of play Scott Wilson grabbed his first goal for the club as he slotted into the bottom left corner with the outside of his boot as he found himself in space inside the box.
Moments later Grimsby midfielder Owen Windsor curled an effort just wide of the left post as he cut in from the right flank.
It then very much became a battle for possession in the middle of the park with neither creating any real chances until the 29th minute of play when Grimsby forward Matt Green broke in behind his marker but fired wide of the far post.
Five minutes later Elliot Justham was called into action as he had to tip a header from Mattie Pollock over the crossbar as he met the corner with his head while forward Green also put pressure on the Daggers goalkeeper.
The second corner was whipped in but the hosts managed to clear it away kept comfortably as they looked to protect their lead.
Grimsby had a string of corners as they ramped the pressure on but the Daggers backline were putting their bodies on the line with good blocks from the likes of Kenny Clark and Will Wright.
It was then a save from Justham that bailed them out as Matt Green tried to find the net but the shot-stopper got his foot to it and send it behind for the visitors ninth corner of the first-half in the 40th minute of play.
The hosts Scott Wilson almost grabbed his second of the game with two minutes left in the first-half as he looked to pick out the same corner but it ran just wide.
Grimsby started brightly but failed to create too much although they were awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box as Kyle Bennett was brought down by Abu Ogogo but the former then sent his effort straight into the hands of Justham for an easy save 10 minutes into the second-half.
Mariners Matt Green was causing all sort of problems for the Daggers back line and eventually got on his horse and raced forward.
Kenny Clark made a clumsy challenge catching the back of his ankle in the 59th minute inside the box to award the visitors a penalty.
Up stepped midfielder Owen Windsor who drilled his shot into the bottom right corner to level the score although goalkeeper Justham did get his hand to it but it was not enough.
In the 69th minute Wilson laid the ball off to Deering who found a gap and fired a shot on target, but it was comfortably held by James McKeown.
The 27-year-old then rung the right post with a superb shot after racing forward following a pass from Mitch Brundle who intercepted a Grimsby pass in the middle.
In the 87th minute substitute George Saunders fired narrowly wide of the target after dropping back to be picked out by Deering following his run down the left.
On the stroke of full-time Wilson grabbed his second of the match that looked to seal their progress but Myles Weston was then brought down in the box by Pollock.
Midfielder Mitch Brundle stepped up and fired into the left corner to seal a 3-1 win.
Dagenham & Redbridge: Justham, Wright, Clark, Croll, Johnson, Ogogo (Adams 85), Brundle, Weston, Deering, Balanta (Saunders 66), Wilson (McQueen 90).
Unused subs: Strizovic, Eleftheriou, Clements, Brissett.
Grimsby Town: McKeown, Hendrie, Pollock, Waterfall, Preston, Rose (Scannell 86), Morton, Clifton, Bennett, Green (Williams 68), Windsor (Gibson 80).
Unused subs: Battersby, Öhman, Starbuck, Taylor.
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