FA Trophy: Peterborough Sports joint boss Luke Steele hails win over Dagenham & Redbridge
- Published
Peterborough Sports joint manager Luke Steele reached the FA Cup semi-finals as a player in 2008
Joint manager Luke Steele hailed a fantastic effort by Peterborough Sports as they beat Dagenham & Redbridge to reach round four of the FA Trophy.
The Turbines beat their National League opponents 4-2 on penalties after the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
Dagenham took the lead in the first half, but Steele's co-manager Michael Gash levelled after the break.
"The speed and the intensity we played at, we deserve to be through to the next round," Steele said.
"At half-time I tried to intervene and get through to the boys how well they were playing. Sometimes you're 1-0 down but you're playing fantastic, I said to them 'I expect you to get back in this game if not win it'."
He told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire: "In the first half we looked so dangerous, especially on the break - I said you've got up up it five per cent with the quality and they did.
"For Gashie to get his nose dirty on the grass and it finish in the back of the net is just typical of him."
Gash later saw his spot-kick saved as Peterborough trailed 2-1 in the shoot-out after two penalties each.
But goalkeeper Pete Crook saved from former West Ham, Ipswich and Colchester forward Freddie Sears and Conor Lawless before Connor Johnson won it for the National League North visitors.
"I really want to put that confidence and expectation into the team because I know there are so many good players," said Steele.
"With a fully fit squad I do see us picking up points wherever we go. Once it's in your mind that that's achievable, the sky's the limit," said Steele, who once reached the FA Cup finals as a player with Barnsley.
"I don't know what round it is [next], all I see is a fixture and we go at it.
"This was a special game because it was the first time the two clubs had ever met, a few years ago we were so far apart in terms of leagues, so to come here and get a result is just brilliant for the football club."