Football can be a cruel game sometimes. Before the match, rumours of Reading fielding a young team with little experience had many Daggers fans dreaming that this could be the chance to get through to the second round where a meeting with a Premiership team would have been a po sibility.However just before kick off Ty Law Jersey the team sheets were read out, Hahnemann, Ingimar son, Hunt, Harper, Ci se, Convey, Long. No le s than seven of the Reading starting eleven were first team regulars with the majority playing regularly in the Premiership last season. At this point many fans including myself were hoping not to be on the end of a cricket score.Neverthele s it was Dagenham who looked the Championship team in the early exchanges as a succe sion of corners and good pa sing football saw the Reading back line under pre sure. The firt major chance came as a Ben Strevens cro s saw Benson outstretched just divert the ball away from goal from six yards. You could just imagine the commentators saying how if you dont take your chances then the better side will punish you. Unfortunately that was the case as Tony Roberts failed to collect a high ball which bounced Chris Slade Jersey acro s the goal and hit the post before James Henry converted from merely a yard out.The game then underwent a momentum swing as the last 10 minutes of the first half and the first 10 minutes of the second half saw Reading camped in the Daggers half. After the hosts somehow escaped James Henry drilling wide and Noel Hunt hitting the bar, they started to push forward themselves and take the game to Reading. Drew Desjarlais Jersey The reward came half way through the second half after Solomon Taiwo blasted the ball into the bottom corner from fully 25 yards. All of a sudden, a match that looked like it was getting away from the Daggers swung ma sively back in their favour. Paul Benson was put through one on one just after but perhaps thought too long about where to put it as Hahnemann narrowed the angle quickly. Once again for the majority of the half Jabrill Peppers Jersey the home team were looking more likely to score with Taiwo and Gain in particular controlling the midfield area.However, as the Daggers pushed forward, a long ball which evaded skipper Anwar Uddin allowed Bobby Convey to cut inside from left and play a ball acro s the 6 yard box. It looked as if Scott Griffiths was about to bring it under control and clear it but the ball agonizingly went over his put as the sliding Noel Hunt managed to squeeze the ball above Roberts as he dived in vain to win it in the 89th minue.As the crowd departed after the game and clapped off the valiant players, a general feeling of disappointment was felt amongst the fans. A disappointment that was brought on due Cole Strange Jersey to the brilliant performance of the Daggers players against a majority of ex premiership players. A disappointment of almost achieving something that realistically should have been beyond them. Neverthele s as disappointment fades, realism dawns and the way the Daggers battled and at times pa sed the ball around tonight should give them great optimism for the rest of the season.Roll on Lincoln!!!!