Dagenham and Redbridge were comfortably beaten 4-2 at home by Aldershot Town.

The Daggers were two goals down in the opening five minutes after strikes from Jermaine McGlashan and Peter Vincenti.

Things didn’t improve as Michael Rankine won and scored a penalty before Jon Nurse grabbed a goal back for the Daggers two minutes before half time.

Just when the home support thought their side had something to build on in the second period a Luke Gutteridge header restored the three goal advantage.

It was a second half without major incident but the Daggers did grab a second goal when Damien McCrory fired home a free-kick but it only proved to be a consolation as McGlashan grabbed a fifth for the Shots in injury time.

John Still made just one change to his starting XI as Danny J Green came into the Daggers midfield in place of West Ham loanee Oliver Lee, who dropped to the bench.

With Manchester United to come in midweek, Dean Holdsworth has decided to leave top scorer Danny Hylton on the bench.

The Daggers kicked off and had the first chance of the contest inside the opening 20 seconds. Nurse collected the ball in midfield and fired a long shot straight at Shots’ keeper Ross Worner.

The first real attack of the match led to the first goal, and it was the visitors who took the lead.

An Adam Smith cross from the left hand side of the penalty area evaded everyone in the Daggers’ defence and McGlashan comfortably slotted home at the back post.

Dagenham nearly found an immediate equaliser when Nurse found space and struck a half volley towards goal that required Worner to turn the ball around the post.

With five minutes on the clock Aldershot doubled their lead. Bradley Bubb received the ball on the edge of the box, turned his defender and sent a shot towards goal.

Chris Lewington did well to get down and save the shot but Peter Vincenti followed in and tapped home the second.

The Daggers established some control on the game but rarely looked like finding a way back into the contest.

It was the Shots who continued to look the more dangerous and they missed chances to extend their lead through Michael Rankine and Bubb.

The third goal was going to be crucial and it went the way of the Shots.

Rankine dribbled into the Daggers’ box and cleverly checked back onto his left foot only to be brought down by Mark Arber.

The former York striker decided to take the spot kick and sent Lewington the wrong way to give the Shots a 3-0 lead.

Two minutes before the break Dagenham managed to get a goal back when a corner found Nurse who side-footed the ball past Worner.

That looked like giving the Daggers a platform to build on in the second half but the visitors grabbed a fourth in stoppage time.

An Anthony Pulis corner drifted into the six yard box and Shots’ skipper Guttridge was unmarked and dived forward to head home.

It was a brighter start to the second half for the hosts and Nurse had a couple of half chances that he couldn’t convert.

It was an improved display from the Daggers and Nurse nearly scored his second after he stabbed a high ball towards goal, only to see Worner react well to save.

There were not many real chances for the visitors as the Shots eased off the pressure, possibly with their Carling Cup tie against the Premier League champions in mind.

But they were made to pay for their relaxed attitude when Dagenham grabbed their second goal of the match.

A free-kick was given just outside the box and McCrory smashed the ball past Worner to leave the Shots’ supports with nervy last ten minutes.

Despite looking threatening immediately following the goal, the Shots managed to round off their win when McGlashan scored the fifth in injury time to round-off the win.

Dagenham and Redbridge: Lewington; McCrory, Doe, Arber, Nurse, Tomlin, Maher, Ogogo, Green, Woodall, Gain.

Substitutes: Shea, Rose, Scannell, Lee, Hewitt.

Aldershot Town: Worner; Straker, Guttridge, Brown, McGlashan, Rankine, Bubb, Pulis, Morris, Vincenti, Smith.

Aldershot Substitutes: Young, Hylton, Rodman, Brown, Panther.

Attendance: 1,796