DIKE HAS EYE ON PREM PUSH
Baggies ace back from injury to clinch Cup victory
DARYL DIKE showed West Brom just what they’ve been missing as he scored one and made another on an impressive return from injury.
The Baggies forward was back in the team after nearly nine months out with a ruptured Achilles and helped the Championship side avoid any slip-up against non-league Aldershot.
Baggies boss Carlos Corberan is now hoping the returning striker can help them in their promotion chase, with striker Josh Maja out until April with an ankle injury.
“The way he celebrates the goals says many things about how much he has been suffering, how important it is for him to score,” Corberan said.
“When you are close to nine months out, managing the injury, it is difficult.”
Dike, 23, suffered the season-ending injury last April. His previous campaign ended just two games after joining West Brom because of a hamstring problem.
But the American offers an alternative to Brandon Thomas-asante in attack.
Tom Fellows created the first after just seven minutes when he cut back for Nathaniel Chalobah to fire home the first of four goals.
That popped a pin in the hopes of the near 5,000-strong Aldershot support, who had been throwing red and blue balloons.
There are 76 places between the Championship side in the play-off spots and the National League outfit, and it was showing. Dike pressured Cian Harries into a mistake and then left it for Jovan Malcolm (celebrating, circle) to score on his first start for the club.
Aldershot had beaten Swindon and Stockport, but their cup journey was brought to an end as Dike fired home to ensure this tie was over before half-time. Fellows got his first senior goal with two minutes left.
But there was still time for Tommy Widdrington’s side to give their loyal fans a moment to remember. Tommy Willard’s cross was deflected to Ollie Bray – recently signed from Willand Rovers in the eighth tier – and the substitute fired home in stoppage time.
Widdrington said: “I don’t think he’s ever been in a stadium like this, never mind played in one.
“While we didn’t win the game, it was Ollie Bray’s day and that’s what the FA Cup does, perennially.”
WEST BROM: Griffiths 6, Pipa 7, Bartley 8 (Kipre 63, 6), Taylor 7, Pieters 7, Heard 6 (Shaw 84), Chalobah 8, Mowatt 7 (Whitwell 63, 6), Malcolm 8 (Love 73, 6), Dike 7 (Higgins 46, 6), Fellows 8 ALDERSHOT: Van Stappershoef 5, Harfield 5, Harries 5, Rowe 5, Scott 6, O’keefe 6 (Thomas 73, 6), Widdrington 6 (Willard 60, 6), Frost 7, Glover 6 (Jones 84), Tolaj 6, Barham 6 (Bray 85)
MOTM NATHANIEL CHALOBAH (WEST BROM)