Dagenham took a step closer to the play-offs and edged Barnet ever nearer to the drop zone in an eventful match at Victoria Road this evening.

The Daggers were helped by two penalties and a red card to Bees defender Daniel Leach, before the ten-man visitors collapsed in the latter stages.

Though the luck was often against Barnet, Dagenham were good value for the win.

This was a fiesty local derby and both teams played their part in an entertaining contest, but, for the Bees, it is a night they will want to forget, with a number of players also picking up injuries.

Dagenham got off to the perfect start, breaking the deadlock from the spot after just five minutes.

Barnet defender Leach was judged to have handled as Paul Benson tried to put the ball past him and Danny Green made no mistake with his penalty.

Things got worse for the Bees when they lost influential midfielder Mark Hughes with a head wound soon after.

The early blows knocked the visitors off their stride, and both John Nurse and Josh Scott tried their luck from distance for the Daggers, only to see their efforts miss the target.

Benson then almost got on the end of a Scott cross, but Barnet keeper Jake Cole just managed to get to the ball first.

Dagenham nearly hit a second through Green again. His powerful free-kick was pushed out by Cole and Scott Doe, lurking in the box, was just unable to turn home the rebound.

With ten minutes of the first half to go, visiting defenders Clovis Kamdjo and Leach held off and Scott was given time and space to hit his shot. Fortunately for the Bees, the ball whistled just past the upright.

Barnet offered little in the first half, but, in stoppage time, they struck. Albert Adomah crossed and Jake Hyde saw his flicked header at the near post flash past keeper Tony Roberts. It was a bolt out of the blue and stunned the home fans.

Barnet boss Ian Hendon was forced to make another change at the interval, scorer Hyde not returning for the second half because of an ankle injury.

His replacement, Albert Jarrett, had a great chance with his first touch, but sliced his shot when well placed.

At the other end, ex-Bee Abu Ogogo hit a cracker from all of 30 yards, but Cole tipped it over.

The Barnet keeper then saved from Green, as the Daggers pressed.

A superb Peter Gain cross into the middle was met by Benson, though he could not keep his effort down. Gain then had a crack himself, but his 20-yard drive was just wide of the post.

On the break, Adomah hit a left-foot shot across the face of the Dagenham goal and wide.

However, it was the Daggers who were doing most of the pressing.

On the hour, Joe Devera cleared a Benson effort off the line and Cole pulled off a fine save to keep out a Romain Vincelot belter, as the visitors struggled to clear the danger.

The Daggers were awarded their second penalty midway through the half, Leach again the offender. This time he was accused of hauling back Gain.

Leach was red-carded and Green slotted home from the spot.

Now ten-man Barnet had a mountain to climb.

And number three arrived ten minutes from time, Benson capitalising on hesitation from Devera to stab home from close range following a long throw that was flicked on.

Within a minute, Scott held off his marker and drilled past Cole for number four.

Attendance: 2,004.