A LATE goal by Graeme Montgomery saw Dagenham & Redbridge progress to the Essex Senior Cup quarter-finals with victory at Ryman One South Harlow Town.

ESSEX SENIOR CUP

Harlow Town 2 Dagenham & Redbridge 3

A LATE strike from winger Graeme Montgomery saw Dagenham & Redbridge reach the Essex Senior Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday night.

The 21-year-old, who is yet to start a league game for Daggers, netted his second of the evening with minutes remaining, to finally end the resistance of Ryman One North opponents Harlow Town.

Montgomery struck when Hawks keeper Ashley Harris opted to punch Danny Spiller’s free kick away, and the winger chipped the rebound expertly into the net from 20 yards.

Daggers had sent a strong side to Barrows Farm, with Stuart Thurgood, Wes Thomas, Scott Doe, Abu Ogogo, Spiller and Montgomery all starting the match.

They almost took the lead in the opening minute, when Spiller sent Thomas through on goal, but Harris was alert to the danger.

The Harlow keeper was a constant thorn in the visitors side, as he tipped over a cross-shot from full back Charlie Bland, before producing an even better save to turn Tommy Tejan-Sie’s drive away.

Despite their pressure, it was the home side who went ahead as Ola Akinnawo fired past Chris Lewington on 18 minutes.

Daggers were behind for just two minutes though as Thurgood played an incisive pass and Thomas, looking to earn a recall to the first team after his three-game suspension, shot home with a crisp finish.

Tejan-Sie almost made it 2-1, after Spiller put him in the clear with a clever pass, but Harris came to the rescue once more.Ten minutes before the break and Daggers did have their second goal when Thomas laid the ball into the path of Montgomery, and he drove a fine low effort beyond Harris and into the bottom corner.

Daggers couldn’t maintain their lead until the break though as Akinnawo was on target again, beating Lewington with a powerful strike that went in off the post.

In the second period, neither side could retake the ascendancy, although Thomas had two excellent chances to win the tie.

First, he shot past the post, before after racing on to a pinpoint Tejan-Sie throughball, he was denied by Harris.

It mattered not though, as with extra-time looming, Montgomery was on hand to score the winner and send Daggers through.

Daggers: Chris Lewington, Abu Ogogo, Scot Doe, Matthew Pooley (Jack Jeffries 57 mins), Charlie Bland, Steven Demetriou, Stuart Thurgood (Jay Nash 54 mins), Danny Spiller, Tommy Tejan-Sie (Alfie Wren 90 mins), Wes Thomas, Graeme Montgomery.

Unused subs: Daniel Sambridge, Lee Wooton.

Attendance: 200.

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