Daggers boss throws down the gauntlet

Charlton have been warned they will be the first Premiership club knocked out of the FA Cup by a non-League side unless they improve markedly in tonight's third round replay at Dagenham and Redbridge.

Dagenham boss Garry Hill believes his Conference side still have a strong chance of setting up a dream fourth round meeting with Tottenham.

Spurs fan Hill, who has Tottenham's name tattooed on his left shoulder, saw his own team come within just four minutes of a memorable upset at The Valley.

No non-League team has knocked out a top-flight team since the formation of the Premiership in 1992 and the last to oust a member of the 'old' First Division were Sutton, when they beat Coventry in 1989.

John Salako's deflected equaliser saved Charlton's skins at The Valley 10 days ago to ensure tonight's replay at Dagenham's Victoria Road ground in front of a capacity crowd of 5,403.

The cup run has already guaranteed Dagenham's immediate financial future as, with Sky Sports televising the replay, it could bring in up to £300,000 even if they were to lose.

However, while that will pay for most of the cost of renovating their main stand to Football League requirements, Hill is determined not to allow his players to rest on their laurels.

They may have come back down to earth with a bump last weekend when they were themselves beaten by an underdog, Weymouth, in the FA Trophy.

But the Dagenham boss declared: "If Charlton play like they did last time, then they will go out.

"They were poor by their standards but we also made them play that way as we got amongst them.

"I felt we could cause a surprise at The Valley and I still think we can. We have more belief that we can beat them as we came so close and their away form is not the best.

"They are still a Premiership side and we will have to be at our own best to have a real chance. But every player who is playing or on the bench will give everything they have got to give.

"Whatever happens, we are the winners anyway as we have got this far. We are under no pressure. They are.

"We have no expectations, but they do. Everyone is hoping that the little team can knock the big boys out."

Hill has made it clear to his players that their display against Weymouth was "unacceptable", believing their minds were distracted by the pressure and huge media attention surrounding tonight's game.

He added: "There was no big inquiry afterwards, although they knew how I felt.

"All I want them to do now is to go out with the right attitude and give commitment and effort to the best of their abilities.

"If we don't concede a goal in the first 20 minutes then it may well be an interesting evening. The longer the game goes on without them scoring then the more the pressure will grow on them."

Hill, who has been a Tottenham fan since childhood, watching them at least three times at Wembley and travelling to see them in Europe, added: "I have not really thought about the Spurs game ahead.

"The Charlton game is enough to think about as we have to get past them first. When we drew at Charlton, that was the day that I won the Lottery as a manager. "

Dagenham are expected to field an unchanged line-up from the original tie, with former Manchester City, Oldham and Ipswich star Mark Brennan still out injured, while Steve Forbes is suspended.

Record £15,000 signing Paul Cobb is expected to stay on the bench, where he should be joined by Mark Keen as John Hamsher's loan spell from Rushden and Diamonds has ended with him signing for Stevenage.