With both sides resting key players from their normal starting eleven's the Daggers, as they had done in the last round, came from behind against higher league opposition to force the game into extra time. Again it took a golden goal from a Dagenham & Redbridge defender to beat their opponents and secure their place in the area quarterfinals of the LDV Vans Trophy. With Mark Brennan, Lee Matthews and Jason Broom all not starting, Paul Terry captained the side for the first time.
The first opportunity of the game fell to the Daggers in the 10th minute with Danny Ship glancing a header wide. The visitors had the ball in the net after 15 minutes when Andrew Fotiadis put away a cross from Dean Brennan, but the referee, Mr Crick, disallowed the goal for offside. A quarter of an hour later, Dean Brennan put a 25-yard free-kick wide of the upright following a foul on Peter Thomson. Steve McGavin in midfield had a great game and his constant running had Luton back pedaling at times in the first half. Peter Holmes let fly from 40 yards, which Paul Gothard did well to tip over the bar and from the resulting corner the impressive Mark Smith blocked Dean Brennan's effort. Dagenham should have taken the lead as half time approached with two chances. Eight minutes before the interval Danny Hayzelden's cross found Steve McGavin but the legs of the Luton goalkeeper, Ovendale, blocked his volley. Then a couple of minute's later Paul Terry's chipped effort was headed off the goal line bravely by Stuart Fraser and he received an accidental kick in the head from the challenging Danny Shipp.
The second half was as good as seen at Victoria Road this season. The Daggers took the lead on 48 minutes following a foul just outside the penalty area by Dean Brennan on Daggers midfield maestro Danny Hill. Steve McGavin bent the free kick over the defensive wall and into the top left hand corner of the net with Hatters goalkeeper, Ovendale, left flat-footed. The visitors almost equalised straight away when Liam George rounded Gothard but slipped at the vital moment and the ball ran out of play. That served as only a warning for the Daggers and on 56 minutes the scores were level. George cut back a cross from the right, which the home defence failed to clear, and Brennan drilled his shot into the bottom corner of the net. Luton should have taken the lead moments later when an interchange of passes from Fotiadis and Brennan on the left ended in Peter Holmes blasting the ball over the bar from only 8 yards out. At the other end a free kick taken by Paul Terry was met by Ashley Vickers but his powerful header crashed against the crossbar. With their next attack the Hatters took the lead. A pinpoint cross on the right from George found Peter Thomson who's downwards header looked to be covered by Gothard but the keeper had a nightmare moment as the ball rolled agonisingly between his legs and into the net. Garry Hill replaced McDougald, McGavin and Hayzelden with Lock, Janney and Broom as they went in search of an equaliser. Fotiadis and George both had chances to have sealed the game for the visitors but instead the Daggers leveled on 76 minutes. Mark Rooney's cross was deflected and Paul Terry adjusted himself accordingly to shoot at the goal. His effort came back off the underside of the crossbar and appeared to be helped into the net by Luton goalkeeper Ovendale. Just under ten minutes from time, George hit the bar with a shot and at the opposite end, Daggers substitute Tony Lock fired over from only five years out after Danny Shipp had knocked the ball down to him. Both sides went all out for victory in the closing stages with Broom going close for the Daggers and then Fotiadis being sent clear by Gillman only to put wide of the left upright. Luton replaced Lee Mansell with Jude Stirling during injury time but the game ended all square and so entered extra-time and the golden-goal.
The Daggers almost won the fixture in the first minute of the extra period when Mark Ovendale dropped Tony Lock's centre but Stuart Fraser managed to clear the danger. Two minutes later and the tie was over. The Hatters keeper failed to hold onto a Paul Terry free kick and Ashley Vickers managed to smash the ball into the net and send the Daggers through to the third round.
D&R: Paul Gothard, Mark Rooney, Ashley Vickers, Lee Goodwin, Mark Smith, Danny Hill, Steve McGavin (Mark Janney), Paul Terry, Danny Shipp, Junior McDougald (Tony Lock), Danny Hayzelden (Jason Broom). Unused Subs: Tony Roberts & ken Charlery.
Luton: mark Ovendale, Richard Dryden, Peter Thomson, Marvin Johnson, Liam George, Stuart Fraser, Rob Gilman, Andy Fotiadis, Lee Mansell (Jude Stirling), Peter Holmes, Dean Brennan. Unused Subs: Scott Ward, Darryl Murphy, Steven O'Leary & James Osborn.
Home v Basingstoke Town Won 3-0