By Samuel Blitz
October 23 2019, 13.55
Follow @SW_Londoner
Carshalton Athletic player/manager Peter Adeniyi couldn’t hide his joy after his side beat Dagenham & Redbridge in the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round at Colston Avenue.
Despite sitting two divisions and 42 league places below the National League visitors, defender Bobby Wright gave the Isthmian League side the lead five minutes after half-time with a low effort on the counter attack.
And while they were pegged back through Dagenham substitute Recce Grant’s goal mid-way through the second half, winger Ricky Korboa scored a superb solo effort with five minutes to go to give the home side the win – and £18,750 in prize money which accompanies a spot in the FA Cup First Round Proper.
Adeniyi said: “I can’t tell you how much I love this place. The chairman deserves it and he’s put so much financially into the club. It’s great to repay him for the amount of money he’s put in.
“Days like these are what our supporters dream of. That’s what we live for. I’m so happy for everyone connected with the club, from the top right down to the kit man Gary Chadwick who is a Carshalton superfan.”
The south west London club have reached the main FA Cup rounds for the first time since 1997, and Adeniyi said his team showed superb mental strength to grab the late win.
“We’ve got a never-give-up, never-say die attitude and we really do try to enforce that,” added the 39-year-old.
“The game plan that we had today was perfectly executed and it worked brilliantly.”
There will have to be a superb strike to better Korboa’s winner five minutes from time in the Goal of the Round award, after the wide man beat three defenders on the counter attack before arrowing an unstoppable left-footed drive past Daggers keeper Elliot Justman and into the far corner.
Adeniyi described his player as a ‘special talent’, while the player himself added that the manner in which he scored was part of the game plan.
“Whenever I picked up the ball today, I just drove with it,” said Korboa.
“Peter said before the game that we have to make our chances count whenever we get them, and I’ve done that and got the break through.”
The victory saw Carshalton drawn to play at home against National League North side Boston United in Monday’s FA Cup First Round draw.
But Adeniyi said he doesn’t have a preference of who he wants to play in the next round, and has put out a warning to the rest of the teams in the competition that Carsharlton will be a difficult opponent.
“I’m a Liverpool supporter so it’s one step closer to the big big boys! We will do what we’ve done today and give everything we’ve got and hopefully make the fans and the club proud,” he said.
Meanwhile, It is now the third season in a row in which Dagenham & Redbridge have been eliminated by a London club in the fourth qualifying round and Daggers manager Peter Taylor heaped praise on the Isthmian League club and their manager.
“Carshalton played very well today,” said the ex-England manager, who gave David Beckham the England captaincy for the first time back in 2000.
“They’re a very good and organised team and the manager’s done a great job with them. His substitutions were very good today and it worked well for them.”
Feature image credit Ian Gerrard.
