Hatters U18s' boss reflects on "rollercoaster"
Hatters youth boss Paul Driver had an up and down evening watching his side take an early lead, then twice have to fight back from a goal down to knock Dagenham & Redbridge out of the FA Youth Cup at the second round stage.
Jack Snelus bagged a terrific hat-trick to help the Town through to a third round tie at Sheffield Wednesday, with Arthur Read netting the other in the extra-time win at Kenilworth Road.
Driver said: “It was quite a rollercoaster, wasn’t it? If I’m Micah Hyde, their coach, I’m thinking that they are really unlucky to lose. We weren’t at our best individually or collectively, and they deserved their first-half lead.
“But for desire and passion and commitment and everything to get back in it first half, and then get knocked down, and they get back in it again, you’ve got to give them credit.
“We’ve also got to realise that we are considerably better than that, but the main thing is though that in a cup game, you get through – and Dagenham are all right.
“I’ve said it all along. Forget the league. I watched the Colchester game in the last round and they have some great players in there who will do a great job for John Still.
"But we got the win out of it and that’s why cups are different from the league.”
Snelus’ first and third goals were from distance, while his second was a low shot from the edge of the area that went in off the post.
“I think the third one was probably the best of the three, but if you go through, Jack is comfortable top scorer now and as a number ten, most of them have come from outside the box,” added Driver.
“He did this at the start of last season, and got nominated for the LFE Goal of the Month, so he can do that. You are not going to get much of a better hat-trick than that.”