Andy Carroll endured a nightmarish outing as the former Liverpool striker was sent off on his full debut for Dagenham & Redbridge. The 36-year-old, who lit up St James’ Park and Anfield in his prime, found himself captaining Dagenham in an FA Cup second qualifying round tie against Bedford. It was billed as his grand return to competitive action after a frustrating spell on the sidelines. Instead, it ended in frustration.
A dream start ends in disaster
Handed the skipper’s armband, Carroll looked ready to roll back the years. Dagenham fans had waited months to see their marquee summer signing lead the line, and there was genuine buzz around the terraces. But just as the script seemed set for a fairytale, the story flipped into farce. With his side 1-0 up, Carroll went up for a routine aerial duel, only to catch his opponent with what officials deemed a reckless elbow. The referee wasted no time brandishing a straight red card.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportDaggers left hanging on
Carroll’s dismissal left his teammates with a mountain to climb. Reduced to ten men, the Daggers clung desperately to their slender lead. For a brief spell, it looked like they might just pull off the gritty escape. But deep into stoppage time, Bedford delivered the hammer blow. An injury-time equaliser broke Dagenham hearts, dragging the tie into a replay and leaving Carroll facing suspension when his side most need him.
Nightmare pre-season haunts him
The red card was the latest chapter in what has been a nightmare start to Carroll’s non-league adventure. Back in pre-season, he endured a horror cameo against League Two Crawley Town. Brought on around the hour mark with his team trailing narrowly by a 2-1 margin, Carroll could only watch as a mystery player named “Trialist B” bagged a quickfire double. The match finished 5-1, and Carroll’s Dagenham bow became more of a punchline than a headline.
AFPReplay looms but Carroll will be missing
The Daggers now face Bedford again on Tuesday, but their headline striker will be nowhere near the pitch. Instead of leading the line, Carroll will be watching from the stands, left to stew over a full debut that went from hopeful to disastrous.