West Brom boss Carlos Corberan saluted the returning Daryl Dike after the striker ended his eight-month injury nightmare.

The United States international, out since April with a serious Achilles injury, scored as the Baggies cruised past Aldershot 4-1 in the FA Cup third round.

First-half goals from Nathaniel Chalobah Jovan Malcolm also made it a Sunday stroll for the hosts before Tom Fellows’ late fourth and Ollie Bray’s consolation.

It was a perfect comeback for Dike as he looks to finally shake off the injury issues which have restricted him to just 28 appearances in two years.

A hamstring injury on his full debut in January 2022 sidelined him for six months and a thigh problem at the start of last season kept the 23-year-old out for three months.

Corberan said: “The way he celebrated the goal says many things about how much he has been suffering, how important it was to score, how important he is for us in the the dressing room.

“Afterwards, the players gave him a big round of applause. They were celebrating he has come back with the group and scored the goal because eight months out, managing the injury, is difficult especially for him after suffering injuries.

“To come back was an important step for us. It’s a massive step. We need to keep working on his adaptation to football again, hopefully we can keep growing in the process.

“To achieve something in the Championship you need to not have a lot of injuries. To have Dike as striker is always a positive.”

There was never any suggestion of a third-round upset as the Baggies raced into a 2-0 lead after 15 minutes.

Chalobah hooked in Fellows’ cross after seven minutes before Malcolm seized on Cian Harries’ slip to add a second.

Dike got his goal after 27 minutes, taking advantage of more sloppy defending, to fire in from 10 yards and wrap the game up before half time.

The second half was a procession, with Kyle Bartley lobbing onto the roof of the net from halfway and Fenton Heard shooting over.

Aldershot offered little in response although Lorent Tolaj tested Josh Griffiths from distance.

Layton Love blazed over after being sent clean through but Fellows added a fourth with two minutes left when he cut inside and fired in off the post.

Bray netted a consolation in the fifth minute of injury time to leave boss Tommy Widdrington proud.

He said: “It was a nice way to end, our fans were on the up. We shot ourselves in the foot for two goals, standing on the ball at one stage and then missing a corner and it hitting someone in the face.

“They had a lot of the ball in the first half but didn’t have a lot of efforts. I thought we showed them a bit too much respect in the first half.

“I’ve got no qualms about the result they are a class act and Carlos is a top person.”

David Moyes saw his injury worries mount up as West Ham were held to a 1-1 FA Cup draw by Bristol City.

Lucas Paqueta set up Jarrod Bowen’s goal after just four minutes, but limped off shortly after with a recurrence of a knee injury.

Defender Konstantinos Mavropanos was also forced off with a shoulder problem before half-time.

But most worryingly of all, top-scorer Bowen had to be helped from the pitch after the final whistle having gone down injured in stoppage time.

The injuries may have brought into question Moyes’ decision to play his strongest team against the Championship side.

But the Hammers boss insisted: “I had no intention of doing anything else than making sure we put out as strong a team as we possibly could.

“Injuries are part of football, and unfortunately we picked up a couple today. Losing Lucas was a big turning point in the match.”

The Hammers looked on course for a comfortable afternoon when Bowen brought down Paqueta’s ball over the top and fired them into an early lead.

It proved to be anything but, however, after a second-half equaliser from Tommy Conway secured a replay for the rocking Robins.

West Ham’s squad would have been given a whole a week off had they won this third-round tie, but they will now be dragged back in on Friday as Moyes, who reached Wembley twice as a player with City, prepares for a return to Ashton Gate.

A replay is the last thing Moyes needs as the injuries begin to bite, but he claimed: “I’m looking forward to going back to Bristol, I’ve not been there for a long time, I’m really looking forward to going back to Ashton Gate.

“The amount of games we played this season it would be better if we didn’t have it, but if I was Bristol City I’d be thrilled to have West Ham at Ashton Gate.”

Danny Ings has been linked with a move to Wolves this January having hardly figured this season.

The striker, on as a second-half substitute, missed a late chance when he hit the side-netting.

But Moyes insisted: “Danny was probably the best player when he came on. I’d talk about his performance rather than anything else.”

City boss Liam Manning, a former Hammers Under-23s coach, was delighted with his side’s second-half display.

“The immediate emotion would be pride in terms of the performance level,” he said.

“Going a goal down early can derail you but the response was outstanding.

“For the first 20 or 25 minutes of the second half the performance level was excellent, and the goal was a terrific moment of quality.”

David Bridgwater was back in the big-race winner’s enclosure having saddled Dom Of Mary to a decisive victory in Plumpton’s BetGoodwin Sussex National Handicap Chase.

The eight-year-old was the 9-2 second-favourite in the hands of Caoilin Quinn for the £35,000 marathon and his in-form pilot was in no rush in the early stages, biding his time and riding his mount with supreme confidence.

Dom Of Mary gradually worked his way into a position to strike with the business end of the race approaching, and as the field rounded the turn for home, there was only Seamus Mullins’ hat-trick-seeking Tommie Beau left to pass.

The duo jumped two out matching strides, but the momentum lay with Dom Of Mary who took control running down to the last, extending clear and ultimately romping home 10-lengths clear of Tommie Beau who kept on gamely for the silver medal.

“He ran well last time and the time before and he deserved to get his head in front again,” said Bridgwater.

“It was the ideal race for him really. Any of these three-mile-plus races we will have a look at them and I always thought he would be a horse who would win a race like that, so it’s worked out well for once.

“Caoilin rides exceptionally well and I think he is a boy that will be around for a few years yet.”

Dom Of Mary is owned by one of Bridgwater’s long-standing owners in Peter Cave, whose colours were carried to Cheltenham Festival glory by The Conditional in the Ultima in 2020.

The handler is now keen to give Dom Of Mary his own shot at Prestbury Park success, but concedes it may have to be the Kim Muir rather than the Ultima depending on how the handicapper assesses his Plumpton triumph.

“He’s been a lucky owner for us and it’s really exciting for Peter and just what the doctor ordered really,” continued Bridgwater.

“He’s won by 10 lengths off 118 so where is the handicapper going to put him? That (Kim Muir) is what I’m thinking.

“I’d love to run him in the race we won with The Conditional really, but he might have to win again (to get in). He’s that type of horse, off a low weight in those big handicaps, he’s going to sneak into it isn’t he.

“We’ll see what’s about and it’s all exciting stuff.”

Dom Of Mary’s success continued a brilliant run in the saddle for the 22-year-old jockey Quinn, who was seen tasting success aboard Gary Moore’s Nassalam in the Welsh Grand National over the Christmas period and has now got his hands on a second prestigious staying prize in the space of two weeks.

He told Sky Sports Racing: “This lad made it very easy for me, he travelled and jumped well which is what you need round here and I know it’s a staying race, but you do need to travel round here.

“I sort of lost my place at halfway, but I wasn’t too worried as they went a good gallop early and just down the hill I was just trying to creep into it as I knew when I did go for him, he would pick up. Turning into the straight he put it to bed in a matter of strides.

“David has targeted this race all year for him and when I first rode him here at the beginning of the season he said this was his big target. We’ve got that now and hopefully he can keep improving.”

Patrick Bamford’s moment of brilliance lit up Leeds’ smooth FA Cup passage as they eased to a 3-0 win at Peterborough.

The forward was handed only his second start of the campaign as boss Daniel Farke rang the changes.

And Bamford responded by delivering a stunning strike shortly after half-time to double an advantage provided by Ethan Ampadu’s first goal in Leeds colours.

Captain Ampadu then sealed the win late on as his sudden taste for scoring continued.

The goalscorers were two of only five survivors from the Sky Bet Championship success against Birmingham on New Year’s Day as Farke shuffled his pack, but it did not hamper Leeds as they had three clear chances in the opening seven minutes.

Two Bamford headers – one wide from a corner and one clawed away by Posh goalkeeper Fynn Talley – sandwiched the best opportunity of all as Talley recovered to save from Archie Gray after picking out the Leeds man with an attempted pass.

League One top-scorers Peterborough began to trouble the visitors, with Ricky-Jade Jones stretching to steer an Ephron Mason-Clark cross wide before Hector Kyprianou failed to direct a header on target from Jadel Katongo’s cross.

It was no surprise when the deadlock was broken in the 34th minute, although few could have predicted Ampadu would be the scorer as he opened his Leeds account by firing past Talley after a Jaidon Anthony free-kick was chested down by Bamford.

The breakthrough was not without controversy as Posh players complained the set piece was taken before referee Sam Allison had blown his whistle, but the goal stood with Josh Knight booked for his protests.

Kyprianou then scuffed an effort wide in a goalmouth scramble as Peterborough looked to rapidly respond before Allison was again the centre of attention four minutes before the break – taking no action when Wilfried Gnonto tumbled under a Knight challenge in the box.

The Italian winger was staggered not to see a spot-kick awarded which would have led to a dismissal for Knight, while Posh felt Allison should have issued a second yellow card to Gnonto, who had been booked moments earlier for kicking the ball away.

The player count and scoreline remained unchanged going into the second half, but it did not remain that way for long thanks to the brilliance of Bamford as he brought down a long Ampadu pass on his chest before turning and unleashing a stunning volley into the top corner from 25 yards.

It was undoubtedly one of the finest goals in his 115-strong collection and ensured Leeds’ stranglehold on the clash was strengthened.

Anthony was denied a third goal on the hour by a smart Talley stop while Posh rarely looked like joining then non-League Sutton and fellow lower-league sides Newport and Crawley in claiming the scalp of Leeds in this competition in recent years.

The hosts’ fate was sealed when Ampadu rose to head in substitute Dan James’ corner in the 90th minute.

Napoli’s dismal season continued as they succumbed to a seventh defeat of the season in Serie A, losing 3-0 at Torino.

Antonio Sanabria, Nikola Vlasic and Alessandro Buongiorno got the goals as Walter Mazzarri’s defending champions had another miserable afternoon.

A dismal afternoon for the visitors was compounded by the 50th-minute dismissal of Naples-born wing-back Pasquale Mazzocchi, less than three minutes into his debut.

They are now winless and without a goal in four matches and lie 20 points behind leaders Inter Milan.

Napoli had a 20-3 aggregate goal advantage in the last eight meetings of these two teams in Turin, winning seven and drawing the other.

However, it was destined to be the hosts’ day from the moment Sanabria broke the deadlock two minutes before half-time.

Duvan Zapata flicked an Ivan Ilic free-kick on for the Paraguay international, who tucked the ball away left-footed from six yards.

Napoli’s hopes of getting back into the contest were killed off as they made a sloppy start to the second half.

Zapata had already forced Pierluigi Gollini into a save at his near post less than two minutes after the restart when the visitors were reduced to 10 men.

Mazzocchi, a half-time substitute for Piotr Zielinski, had been on the pitch for  three minutes when he received a yellow card for a high, reckless challenge on Valentino Lazaro. However, referee Maurizio Mariani then decided to dismiss the 28-year-old Napoli debutant, following VAR intervention.

Torino soon doubled their advantage, Vlasic beating Gollini with a well-placed low right-footed shot into the corner two minutes later.

Sanabria hit the post from eight yards and Zapata failed to tuck the rebound away from close range, with Gollini blocking with his foot then scooping the ball away before it could cross the line.

However, the dominant hosts made it 3-0 in the 66th minute when central defender Buongiorno headed home a Lazaro corner.

Giovanni Simeone skied an 80th-minute attempt at a consolation goal, capping a miserable Napoli display as Torino moved to within a point of their ninth-placed opponents.

David Moyes faces a trip back to his former club after West Ham were held to a 1-1 FA Cup draw by Bristol City.

The Hammers looked on course for a comfortable afternoon when Jarrod Bowen fired them into an early lead.

It proved to be anything but, however, after a second-half equaliser from Tommy Conway secured a replay for the rocking Robins.

West Ham’s squad would have been given a whole a week off had they won this third-round tie, but they will now be dragged back in on Friday as Moyes, who reached Wembley twice as a player with City, prepares for a return to Ashton Gate.

Almost 9,000 members of City’s cider army – among an impressive 62,500 sell-out – made the trip to the capital, but the raucous bunch who filled the Sir Trevor Brooking stand were silenced after just four minutes.

Lucas Paqueta dropped deep to collect the ball and lifted a delicious pass over the top to Bowen.

The England hopeful still had work to do, controlling the ball before knocking it past the dive of City keeper Max O’Leary and beating covering defender Cameron Pring on the goal-line.

Sadly for West Ham it was Paqueta’s last involvement in the match. The Brazilian playmaker was only just back from a knee injury and seemed to suffer a recurrence.

Teenage striker Divin Mubama was sent on as a replacement for a rare chance to impress.

West Ham almost doubled their lead when Bowen got round the back of the City defence and pulled the ball back, but O’Leary made a superb reaction save to claw out Pablo Fornals’ shot.

O’Leary made another fine stop to prevent an own-goal from Pring, who inadvertently turned Bowen’s cross-shot towards his own net, and then tipped a James Ward-Prowse volley wide.

Moyes was forced into a second substitution after just 38 minutes when Konstantinos Mavropanos was hurt after an aerial challenge with Conway, with veteran defender Angelo Ogbonna sent on.

City, 11th in the Championship and on a run of one defeat in five matches under former Hammers Under-23 coach Liam Manning, threatened sporadically in the first half.

But Sam Bell shot straight at Lukasz Fabianski and Rob Dickie’s header was also too close to the Polish keeper.

City should have drawn level early in the second half when a low cross from captain Jason Knight eluded everyone in the box and fell to Pring, who lashed his shot wide at the far post.

But on the hour mark the away fans behind the goal were delirious when Joe Williams pinged the ball forward.

Ogbonna missed it and Conway raced forward before burying his shot across Fabianski and into the net.

West Ham poured forward in a bid to avoid a replay – and preserve their week off – but Tomas Soucek headed over and substitute Danny Ings hit the sidenetting.

Nottingham Forest had to come from two goals down to avoid FA Cup third-round history repeating itself as they earned a 2-2 draw with League One Blackpool.

Forest looked like heading out to the Seasiders at this stage for a second straight year when they conceded twice in three first-half minutes, with Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel and Albie Morgan getting the goals.

But the Premier League outfit hit back with goals from Nicolas Dominguez and Morgan Gibbs-White either side of the break.

They could not find a winner, though, meaning the tie will be settled with a replay at Bloomfield Road, where Forest were beaten 4-1 last season.

After a flat opening 20 minutes, the game burst into life as Forest had their first sight of goal when Chris Wood latched onto Gibbs-White’s excellent pass but could not keep his effort down.

And it hurt Forest as before they knew it they were 2-0 down, with Blackpool hitting them with a double salvo.

In the 25th minute Gonzalo Montiel’s poor clearance fell straight to Lawrence-Gabriel, who expertly headed home from 12 yards against his former club and was almost apologetic in his celebration.

Two minutes and 46 seconds later Blackpool were in dreamland as Morgan was left unmarked at the far post and he squeezed home CJ Hamilton’s cross.

Forest needed to improve and got themselves back in it in the 39th minute as Dominguez powered home Montiel’s cross with a well-placed header.

They should have gone in level as Gibbs-White slipped in Wood but the in-form New Zealand striker clipped just wide.

Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo sent the hosts back out early for the second half and they drew themselves level in the 56th minute with the goal of the game as Gibbs-White received the ball on the edge of the area from Callum Hudson-Odoi and arrowed an unstoppable drive into the corner.

Forest ramped up the pressure and should have taken the lead but Ryan Yates headed Danilo’s cross straight at Daniel Grimshaw, with the Blackpool goalkeeper also saving Hudson-Odoi’s late shot.

But they could not find the winner, Wood’s failure to connect with Hudson-Odoi’s cross ensuring it ended all square, with a replay scheduled to take place the week commencing January 15.

Kevin De Bruyne made an eye-catching return and Phil Foden struck twice as holders Manchester City thrashed Huddersfield 5-0 in the FA Cup third round.

Julian Alvarez and Jeremy Doku were also on target as City – further aided by an own goal – swept aside their Championship opponents in a one-sided third-round tie at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

The impact of the in-form Foden was again impressive but De Bruyne’s comeback, after five months out, was arguably of greater significance.

The Belgian was given just over half an hour at the end of the game and he marked the occasion by teeing up a goal for fellow returnee Doku.

His presence brought some of the biggest cheers of the afternoon from the home fans, whose noise was drowned out by that of the 6,000-strong visiting support early on.

Yet Huddersfield, not surprisingly given their struggles in the second tier this season, could not match the intensity of their fans as City, without hitting top gear, comfortably outplayed them.

The visitors resisted well for the opening half an hour, limiting Alvarez to a long-range shot which was comfortably saved by Lee Nicholls while Oscar Bobb had an effort unwittingly blocked by team-mate Rico Lewis.

The visitors showed some spirit by launching a handful of counter-attacks but the final ball was generally lacking.

Sorba Thomas did get through on goal on one occasion but he failed to beat Stefan Ortega and the offside flag indicated it would not have counted anyway.

City suffered a blow when Manuel Akanji limped off after a heavy challenge from Alex Matos, who was booked, but they soon began to step up the pressure.

Huddersfield were pegged back as Sergio Gomez had a low ball turned behind and a Foden shot was deflected to safety.

The opener came on 33 minutes as Mateo Kovacic slipped in Alvarez and his firm pass was well taken and rifled in by Foden at close range.

The second followed just four minutes later as Matheus Nunes linked with Foden and then found Lewis, who squared for Alvarez to stretch and poke home.

Bobb went close early in the second half as he cut inside but dragged his shot wide.

De Bruyne was introduced on 57 minutes in a double change that also saw Doku make his return from injury.

City claimed their third goal moments later as Nunes controlled a high ball and played wide to Bobb, whose attempted cross to De Bruyne at the far post flicked off Ben Jackson and looped into the net.

Huddersfield had a brief flurry as Thomas forced Ortega to save with his feet when through one on one but City’s fourth was not long in coming.

Again Foden did the damage, calmly stroking the ball into the bottom corner from the edge of the area from a well-worked short-corner routine.

De Bruyne created the fifth as he surged upfield, played a one-two with Bobb and then pulled the ball back for Doku to thump in on the half-volley.

West Brom cruised into the FA Cup fourth round after a first-half blitz against Aldershot.

Early goals from Nathaniel Chalobah and Jovan Malcolm set the Baggies on course for a 4-1 win and ended any thoughts the National League visitors had of a shock.

Daryl Dike – making his first appearance since April following a serious Achilles injury – added a third before half-time with the gulf between the Championship promotion-chasers and the Shots obvious.

There were never any hopes of a comeback and Tom Fellows’ first senior goal completed the scoring late on before Ollie Bray’s consolation.

The 4,800 travelling fans were dreaming of an upset but their trip to The Hawthorns turned into a nightmare inside the opening 15 minutes.

It was easy enough for Albion when Fellows was sent scampering down the right and his cross was hooked into the top corner by Chalobah from 12 yards for a seventh-minute opener.

Just eight minutes later it was 2-0 when Cian Harries’ slip allowed Malcolm – whose only other Albion goal came against Chesterfield in the FA Cup a year ago –  a clear run and he coolly stroked into the corner.

The Shots, 10th in the National League, offered little aside from Jack Barham’s deflected effort and it was little surprise when Albion grabbed a third after 27 minutes.

It came from more wretched defending as Stuart O’Keefe could only head Alex Mowatt’s corner to Dike to hammer in from 10 yards.

The striker went hunting a second and tested Jordi van Stappershoef from distance but as a contest the game was over.

Baggies boss Carlos Corberan even had the luxury of replacing Dike with Akeel Higgins at the break, a pre-planned change as the striker returns to match fitness.

Victory was inevitable, Albion just had to maintain their concentration for a second-half cruise. Aldershot, though, did try to inject a little life to proceedings and Tyler Frost had a shot blocked.

But normal service quickly resumed and Kyle Bartley underlined the Baggies’ confidence when his lob from halfway dropped a yard over.

Fenton Heard also drilled over, while Aldershot’s Lorent Tolaj tested Josh Griffiths from distance.

Layton Love should have grabbed a fourth for Albion after being sent through with four minutes left only to blaze over but Fellows did net two minutes later, cutting inside and finishing off the post.

Yet there was still time for the visitors to score a consolation when Bray fired in from eight yards in stoppage time.

Luton were frustrated by League One high-flyers Bolton as the teams played out a drab goalless draw in the FA Cup third round at Kenilworth Road.

Rob Edwards fielded a near-full strength side in spite of the hosts’ ongoing fight to survive in their debut Premier League campaign, but they were unable to break down the side currently sitting second in the third tier.

Alfie Doughty struck a post in the final moments, the nearest Luton came to finally picking Bolton off, that after substitutes Andros Townsend and Jordan Clarke had both gone close in the second half.

Bolton began well and looked a worthy match for Luton, limiting the hosts to a single long-range effort from Ross Barkley which was easily saved by Nathan Baxter in the opening 15 minutes.

At the other end, Josh Sheehan briefly had Tim Krul worried with a 25-yard piledriver that whistled over the crossbar.

Elijah Adebayo glanced a header across goal from Amari’i Bell’s outswinging cross on the half-hour mark that was watched safely behind by Baxter, as Luton struggled to match the kind of attacking intensity that had seen them cause such hardship here for Premier League opponents in recent months.

Barkley tried again from distance and found only the goalkeeper’s gloves.

Tahith Chong teed up Albert Sambi Lokonga late in the half to drive perhaps Luton’s best opening wide of the post from just outside the box.

Certainly it was as close as either side came to breaking the deadlock ahead of a welcome half-time interval.

Carlton Morris had the best chance of the game so far when he headed towards the top corner from Chiedozie Ogbene’s cross from right, a fine reflex save by Baxter beating it clear, before Doughty, unusually subdued by his own recent standards, saw a low effort aimed towards the far post deflected wide.

The longer it stayed goalless, the more the League One side seemed to grow in confidence.

Paris Maghoma and Victor Adeboyejo combined well in a central position high inside the Luton half, but the move was scrubbed out before either player could get a shot away.

Bolton had won four in a row in the league and 10 of their last 13, putting pressure on leaders Portsmouth in the race to reach the Championship.

Yet there was little sign here of Ian Evatt’s side keeping anything back for the promotion run-in. As the tie entered its final 20 minutes, they continued to match Luton’s organisation and work-rate beat for beat.

The hosts gamely kept at it without ever truly showing signs of top-flight class.

Townsend emerged from the bench and tested Baxter’s reach with a fine curling effort low towards the corner, that after fellow substitute Clarke had seen a rasping effort deflected wide.

Their growing frustrations were summed up when Doughty miscued horribly with a cross that sailed harmlessly into the rafters of the stand to the delight of the away supporters.

There was almost late drama when Doughty struck a post with a blistering drive, then Bolton survived a penalty scare when VAR was called on to check a Will Forrester challenge on the same player.

A draw and a replay were no more than Bolton deserved.

Thomas O’Connor’s goal secured Wrexham a 1-0 FA Cup win at Shrewsbury as they reached the fourth round for the second year running.

The hosts went close midway through the first half when Jordan Shipley floated a cross to the back post for Tunmise Sobowale to run on to but he skied his effort over the bar.

Wrexham had an effort just after half-time through Paul Mullin, who won the ball wide and cut in to the box from the left, but Marko Marosi parried away the danger.

Mal Benning made a surging run from the halfway line into the box just past the hour mark, but his effort clipped the crossbar and went out.

The Red Dragons found the breakthrough in the 72nd minute as George Evans played the ball into O’Connor’s path and the midfielder’s deflected strike found the back of the net.

Shrewsbury went close to a late equaliser as the ball fell to Taylor Perry just yards out, but his effort went inches wide.

Joe Anderson made an astonishing recovery to produce one of the rides of the season and register the biggest victory of his career aboard Transmission at Plumpton.

Placed the last twice in the hands of the conditional jockey, Neil Mulholland’s seven-year-old was sent off at 9-2 to claim the most valuable race on Sunday’s card, the BetGoodwin Sussex Stayers Handicap Hurdle.

However, victory seemed unlikely when an error early in the contest catapulted Anderson out of the saddle and clinging on for dear life around the horse’s neck.

He showed supreme horsemanship to vault back into the plate and then maintain the momentum aboard his mount as he eventually returned his feet to his stirrups.

Thanks to the extended three-mile trip, Anderson still had plenty of time to then gather his thoughts and approaching the home straight was travelling best of all aboard Transmission.

He was ridden and took the lead approaching the final flight of hurdles and stuck on gamely to the task at hand to record a two-and-a-quarter-length victory over Robert Walford’s Hititi.

“It was great and we were hopeful before the race, but we weren’t planning on what happened,” said Mulholland.

“The horse had a couple of good runs and was going the right way and speaking to his owner Paul McKeon, this race came up with plenty of money on offer and we decided to target it.

“It was all going well until the first hurdle down the back and then it looked like it was all going wrong, but Joe made a fantastic recovery – he’s a good horseman and he’s ridden plenty of winners for us in the last year.

“It’s great for racing and it’s a good positive story. The applause the horse got when he came back in after the race, it was nice to be a part of it you know.”

He went on: “I’ve seen Paul Carberry at Leopardstown go under one side and come back up the other, but I’m not sure he won.

“For that to happen and then to win, it was a great result for me, for the owners, for Joe and for racing really.”

Anderson, speaking to Sky Sports Racing, added: “Thank God that is over and done with.

“I lost my irons and I thought he was going down – he did very well to stand up.

“I kept going for one of my irons but it had gone over my saddle, so I was trying to get it back and every time I moved he kept lighting up and then jumping the last second time around he settled away, so I was able to have a little play around and get it back. It’s very good he’s very good at jumping.”

He went on: “It wasn’t actually that uncomfortable to be honest with you and he jumps so well – if he was one who needed a good helping hand I might have struggled, but it worked out in the end.

“It will probably be one of those where I watch it back and it will make me look a bit better than I actually am, but it all worked well today.”