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.
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.
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 الدوري الثاني 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.
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.
