A huge burden has been lifted from the metaphorical shoulders of Dagenham & Redbridge after they limped over the line for a scrappy yet nonetheless crucial first victory this season, courtesy of imposing frontman Paul McCallum's third goal in four games.

It required some last-ditch defending coupled with undeniable fortune, as the Daggers withstood a ferocious late barrage featuring two point-blank saves by 'Man of the Match' Elliot Justham, another one-on-one being repelled and a further effort striking the post.

Maidenhead United therefore merited at least a point from their efforts, though survived several scares themselves in what was an open and expansive contest at Victoria Road that really could have gone either way.

  • Story of the match

Maidenhead had won their last two matches while Dagenham were without one altogether having conceded a last-gasp equaliser at Eastleigh in midweek, yet it was actually Daryl McMahon's side who looked more confident in the early stages.

This nearly manifested into an opening goal straight away, as David Longe-King's clearance bizarrely evaded the entire backline to put McCallum through on goal. However, it must have surprised the striker too, because he seemingly didn't realise the space he had and could only tamely head into the keeper's arms.  

The trend continued. Sam Ling, making his first start this season in the only change to the starting lineup, duly won a corner that ultimately amounted to nothing. Moments later, Matt Robinson probed down the line before delivering a fierce delivery that Cole Kpekawa cleared in the nick of time.

Josh Hare was next to try his luck as he lined up a long-range piledriver from distance, except the actual result was a tame strike that rolled almost apologetically into Dan Gyollai's midriff. Despite their domination, Dagenham still weren't posing much danger inside the area.

Until, that was, a lovely move in the 28th minute. There was little threat when Josh Hare clipped a regulation ball into the channel, but Ling was alert enough to chest it into the path of Mo Sagaf, who exploded into an unchallenged run down the line.

McCallum intelligently peeled off his marker to make an option and, after being duly supplied, drilled low through the keeper's legs to deservedly put the hosts ahead. It was their best move by far, signifying something to build on as well as a huge confidence booster.

Maidenhead would only have one chance to respond before the break, a speculative free-kick from distance that would have had Dan Sparkes' eyes lighting up. He obliged and connected well enough, but it was nowhere near good enough to trouble Justham.

It was more of the same upon the game's recommencement, with Dagenham quickly missing two huge opportunities to double their advantage. Myles Weston manufactured both, mere minutes after coming on as a substitute.

(Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

The Antiguan winger hared down the flank before crossing for McCallum, who simply couldn't sort his feet out inside the area and ended up prodding wide. 

If that frustrated Daggers' number nine, then what happened next would have left him even more so. Weston again did the work from wide, Mauro Vilhete the initial beneficiary this time. After he sliced into the air, McCallum trapped the loose ball, spun and hacked wildly over.

Sensing the contest was slipping away from his team, Alan Devonshire promptly made a triple substitution to inject fresh energy, with Charlee Adams, Adrian Clifton, Shawn McCoulsky taking their places in what now loosely resembled a 4-2-4 formation. 

It proved a transformative moment, completely shifting the ascendancy in favour of the Magpies and almost yielding quick reward when Kane Ferdinand forced a superb stop out of Justham after fiercely meeting a corner.

Dagenham failed to heed the warning, switching off completely, in anticipation of a non-forthcoming offside flag, just two minutes later to gift an even bigger opening. Adrian Clifton capitalised, bearing down on goal but then denied by Justham's legs. 

Calamity followed as the ball rebounded off Johnson's legs, trickling back towards the net until Nik Tavares intervened with a quality challenge, also preventing McCoulsky from having a close-range tap-in.

Jolted back into life by those let-offs, the East Londoners soon had a one-on-one of their own, as McCallum profited from a woeful miscalculation by the visitors' defence to get in behind. The striker, who could have had a hat-trick on another day, blasted directly at Gyollai when anything either side would have wrapped up the points.

They would rue that moment even more when Maidenhead upped the pressure at the other end. Another dangerous cross into the area led to Clifton nodding tantalisingly over the crossbar. Deep into stoppage time saw another duel between Kpekawa and Justham, with the latter once again producing a magnificent save to claw away the goalbound header.

A corner kick followed, and keeper Gyollai was granted permission to join the mass bodies inside a packed box, an exact recurrence of the scenario from which the Daggers lost all three points in their previous game. There would be no repeat, though, as they limped over the line for a morale-boosting victory.

  • Player of the Match

Elliot Justham (Dagenham & Redbridge) | That he was mobbed by virtually every home player after the full time whistle tells a story in itself. The hosts would certainly have succumbed to a draw, maybe even worse, were it not for his brilliance.

  • Lineups

DAGENHAM & REDBRIDGE: Elliot Justham; Mauro Vilhete (Manny Onariase 87'), Elliott Johnson (Ryley Scott 90'), David Longe-King, Josh Hare, Sam Ling (Myles Weston 49'); Nikola Tavares, Mo Sagaf, Matt Robinson 🟨; Paul McCallum ⚽, Junior Morias

MAIDENHEAD UNITED: Dán Gyollai; Sam Beckwith 🟨 (Charlee Adams 65'), Will De Havilland, Cole Kpekawa, Zico Asare; Dan Sparkes, Kane Ferdinand, Ryan Upward, Sam Barratt (Adrian Clifton 65'); Koby Arthur, Emile Acquah (Shawn McCoulsky 65')

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