City 3 Dagenham & Redbridge 2 – FA Cup 2nd Round
In the unchartered territory of round 2 of the FA Cup, City came up against lower opposition and this time struggled to kill them off. Full marks to Dagenham & Redbridge, who came to make a game of it, rather than put ten men behind the ball in an attempt to get a lucrative replay at their ground.
Thank goodness for Fryatt, who gets better and better; his first and last goals would have graced a top Premiership side.
Dagenham took the lead twice, in the 9th and 25th minutes but City responded on each occasion within minutes. Fryatt would most certainly not have enjoyed the space he was given for his first equaliser had we been playing a team from a higher league but the pass from Adams was exquisite, and the skill shown by Fryatt in collecting the ball, turning and scoring was unbelievable – was this the same player who couldn’t score for love or money last season?
His second came from the penalty spot and he made no mistake. However, yet again we were in for a nervous second half and Dagenham & Redbridge certainly didn’t give up; they could have scored on several occasions.
Fryatt’s third goal was another beauty and the pass from Edworthy was excellent; the Dagenham & Redbridge manager moaned afterwards that it was offside, but watching the goals on ITV later it is clear that Fryatt timed his run perfectly. He had a fourth goal disallowed for offside after he had scored his hat trick.
I’d just said to my sister that I wanted my ashes scattered in the City memorial garden with the epistle, ‘She never did see them win the FA Cup’! I know it is important to get back into the Championship but – despite the apparent devaluation of this competition – I would still love us to win it.…
Just to get to Wembley again would be fantastic. However, it is clear that a lot of fans do not share that view, judging by the attendance of less than 8,000. If we do progress, and there is a long way to go, it will be interesting to see what happens to the attendances. Just so long as those of us who were there at the first two games are not forgotten!
It was slightly worrying that the defence seemed at sixes and sevens; the normally rock-solid Tunchev looked vulnerable for both the visitors’ goals, and Joe Mattock struggled; he was later replaced by Powell.
New boy Mark Davies, obviously brought in as cover for Oakley, cleared one shot off the line and City could never relax against a side asking a lot of questions. Although Davies only played for just over half an hour he looked like a good prospect, especially as Berner had one of his poorer games.
I was pleased to see Adams in the team although he could have done more to strengthen his case for an extended run; however his pass for the first goal was top drawer and that alone should give him confidence.
It always puzzles me that City struggle against apparently weaker teams but raise their game for opposition from a higher division; the away game at Fulham in the Carling Cup is a perfect example, where City played out of their skins and were unlucky to lose the game.
The match at Chelsea last season was another game where, with more luck, they could have come away with a win. It must be unconscious as the manager and players always say that they are not taking the opposition lightly, only apparently to do just that.
In many ways the 3rd round draw will be a good one, where we will be the underdogs. It is worrying that this game depended so much on Fryatt and it is difficult to see where goals would have come from without him. Dagenham & Redbridge can count themselves unlucky not to win, but thank goodness we avoided doing a Leeds!
Leicester: Martin, Edworthy, Morrison, Tunchev, Mattock (Powell 66), Adams, Berner (Davies 57), Andy King, Dyer, Fryatt, Howard.
Subs Not Used: Cisak, Campbell, Gradel, Hobbs, Dickov.
Booked: Adams Goals: Fryatt 11, 30 pen, 55.
Dag & Red: Roberts, Foster, Okuonghae, Arber, Griffiths, Saunders, Taiwo (Southam 83), Gain, Ritchie, Benson, Strevens. Subs Not Used: Thompson, Nurse, Huke, Nwokeji, Uddin, Tejan-Sie.
Booked: Foster Goals: Ritchie 9, Strevens 25.
Att: 7,791. Ref: Steve Bratt (W Midlands).
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation