Ben Strevens' Dagenham & Redbridge saw out their final game of the season with a 2-0 victory over playoff-bound Barnet on a sunny Saturday evening at The Hive London.
Goals in the second half from star striker Innih Effiong and a first for Sydney Ibie ensured that the Daggers ended a turbulent campaign on a positive note.
Barnet's fifth-place finish was confirmed on Tuesday night after Boreham Wood's loss to Gateshead, meaning there was no pressure for the Bees to play full force ahead of Tuesday's vital playoff eliminator.
After a cagey affair in the first half, the Daggers opened the scoring three minutes into the second half; Effiong's effort beat Laurie Walker for his 23rd goal of the season.
Dutch-born 6"6 striker Sydney Ibie added the finishing touch three minutes into added time, scoring his first goal for Dagenham since joining from Northwood in December.
Story of the match:
With sights set on Tuesday night already, Dean Brennan made seven switches to the XI that drew to Maidenhead United last weekend.
First-team regulars Nicke Kabamba, Idris Kanu, Ryan De Havilland, Harry Pritchard, Jerome Okimo, Finley Potter and Danny Collinge were all given a day off to avoid any injuries that could threaten the Bees' chances of promotion.
Academy graduate Sam Granville was handed his first appearance of the season, while Kian Flanagan and Courtney Senior were also both promoted to the starting lineup.
Meanwhile, Strevens named three switches to the side that played out a goalless affair against FA Trophy finalists Halifax Town. Ryley Scott, Ángelo Balanta and George Saunders were preferred to Emmanuel Onariase, Myles Weston and Josh Hare.
The sun was glaring down on The Hive as the hosts started on the front foot. Captain Dale Gorman's strike from an early free kick was dipping but couldn't find the back of the net.
Flanagan had a chance to test Elliot Justham in between the sticks around five minutes in, but his shot was tame and collected easily by the former Luton Town keeper.
Arguably one of Barnet's better chances of the game came at the 20-minute mark. Granville burst through on the left-hand side, cutting back to Moyo who missed the ball and into the path of Marvin Armstrong, but his shot was high and wide of the target.
The Daggers started to grow back into the match but couldn't provide much service for Effiong who has been their talisman since joining from Aldershot Town in February. The number seven had only two chances on goal in the first half but lacked the quality to beat Walker.
With 10 minutes remaining of the first half, Senior went agonisingly wide for the Bees. Some quick footwork from the 25-year-old enabled him to access a shooting position from the edge of the area, but the former AFC Wimbledon winger dragged his effort away from the bottom right corner.
The Bees started the second half as they did the first, attacking with intent but to no avail. Senior's ball into Moyo created the first real opening of the match, but the Zimbabwean forward's tame shot was parried well by Justham.
A long ball moments later from the 32-year-old fell into the feet of Effiong, who after tussling with Emmanuel Fernandez and Moussa Diarra, found himself one-on-one with Walker for an easy finish to break the deadlock.
The Englishman remained calm and slotted the ball with composure into the bottom corner before heading over to celebrate with the travelling support.
The game lost its excitement after the goal, with Scott's ambitious shot from distance blazed into the away end as the only real notable highlight.
Experienced winger Rob Hall was hurled on for Barnet as a substitute and showed he was still capable of making things happen, creating chances for Dominic Revan and Senior who couldn't get the ball past Justham.
However, the Daggers continued to attack and Saunders' shot on target was one touch away from making it two but Fernandez ensured he was there to steer away the goal threat.
A spectacular diving save from Walker at full stretch denied Effiong of two goals to his name with one minute of regular time left. Despite his efforts, substitute Ibie burst through on the left in the dying embers and slotted past the former Stevenage goalkeeper, before wheeling away to celebrate his first goal with the 247 away fans.
The three points for Dagenham & Redbridge is a good sign of things to come for manager Ben Strevens if the board remain loyal to him. Having sacked Daryl McMahon at the end of February with the Daggers sitting in 10th, the win today meant that they remained in the same position that they were in two months ago, but with things looking more positive.
As for Dean Brennan's black and amber army, the season is not over. A lap of appreciation was standard procedure, but Barnet go again on Tuesday night against neighbours Boreham Wood in the first stage of the playoffs as they quest for promotion.
Fifth place means they have home advantage, but it will be up to the home support to back the Bees if they are to progress to the latter stages.
Player of the match:
Innih Effiong - Dagenham & Redbridge
In a game where there were hardly any standouts, Effiong claims the award for player of the match.
The forward had a slow start to the match but bagged the important first goal with a cool and collected finish to steer his side in front away from home.
The 32-year-old finished on 23 for the season, and if he is to remain at Dagenham, will be a crucial part of Strevens' side for next season.