The Bees finished the Bank Holiday weekend with a tough test against top of the league Dagenham and Redbridge.
After a competitive start, Harry Kewell’s side began to control the opening stages in the first-half as Elliot Justham was called into action on a number of occasions.
Serhat Tasdemir was the first to test the Dagenham stopper after collecting the ball on the edge of the box before finding space to let fly from 20-yards out and force Justham into a smart diving save across to the bottom corner.
A series of corner’s followed for the Bees as Harry Taylor’s ball into the box found Mason Bloomfield. The 24-year-old rose highest to head back into the centre of the goal from six-yards out and make Justham tip the ball over for another corner.
Despite the Bees enjoying large spells of pressure throughout the first 20 minutes, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock after 22 minutes.
Will Wright took aim from 20-yards out to test Sargeant who got down well but parried into the path of Paul McCallum, where he converted into an empty-net.
The visitors looked to further extend their lead on the half-hour mark as Josh Walker drove into the final third and beat his man to get a shot across goal and make Sargeant work. The Bees’ stopper saved brilliantly and palmed the ball away to safety.
Daryl McMahon’s side doubled their lead on the 38th minute when the ball was lofted forward to McCallum inside the box who flicked his header towards goal.
The ball ricocheted off a Bees player leaving Walker to pounce on the loose ball and convert from close-range.
Dagenham came out for the second period with a high-level of intensity and came very close to adding a third when Will Wright picked up the ball in a wide position.
The Daggers captain launched it across the pitch to Mauro Vilhete who watched his header bounce back across the goal and just wide of the upright.
Harry Kewell’s team looked to find a way back into the match 10 minutes later after Kian Flanagan and Harry Taylor composed a short corner together before floating the ball into Bloomfield.
The 6ft 3ins striker found some space and leapt up to meet the cross, but he failed to find the target as his effort dropped wide of the post.
A relatively even few minutes followed as the two teams tried to gain possession of the ball.
McMahon’s side eventually worked themselves another opening when McCallum’s long throw over the top allowed Walker through on goal, but the Bees’ ‘keeper came rapidly off his line to narrow the angle and smother the ball.
Ephron Mason-Clark made a big impact coming off the bench as he looked to help the side back into the match.
The first of his chances came in the 70th minute when he found space on the edge of the box and let fly to force Justham into a diving save.
The tricky winger had the visitors worried, once again, when Josh Doherty won the ball brilliantly high up the pitch and fed through Mason-Clark down the left side.
The 22-year-old danced his way into the box and unleashed a powerful effort that landed just inches wide of the far post, leaving the visitors to claim all three points and remain at the top of the table.
Bees: Sam Sargeant, Jordan Thomas (Sam Granville 60’) , Josh Doherty, Josh Payne, Ben Richards-Everton, Mitch Brundle ©, Mason Bloomfield, Daniel Powell (Ephron Mason-Clark 27’), Kian Flanagan, Harry Taylor, Serhat Tasdemir. Subs (not used): James Callan, David Sesay, Ben Nugent.
Goals:
Dagenham: Elliot Justham, Callum Reynolds, Elliot Johnson, Will Wright ©, Josh Walker (Harry Phipps 75’), Mo Sagaf, Paul McCallum (George Saunders 90’), Myles Weston, Matt Robinson, Mauro Vilhete, Joey Jones (Sam Ling 3’). Subs (not used): Kenny Clark, Ryley Scott.
Goals: McCallum (21’), Walker (38’).
Attendance: 1,728.
Referee: Aaron Johnson.
