Three changes were made from Monday’s 3 – 1 win at Farnborough, with Michael Smith, Luke Coulson & Dan Martin all coming into the starting XI. Jason Pope missed out through an injury picked up while in Hampshire, while Callum Wood & Jake Hicks dropped to the bench., Academy prospect Krystian Woods was named on the bench.
The Seagulls started the strongest, Emlyn Lewis glancing a Martin corner narrowly wide and Will Dawes firing an attempt into the hands of Sam Howes from 18 yards following some good work by Luke Skinner.
Max Harris was called into action for the first time when pushing away a Joe Haigh free-kick from 25 yards, while down the other end Howes was forced to acrobatically tip over a James Dodd header after the midfielder met a Coulson free-kick.
Dermi Lusala saw a low shot inside the box blocked by the foot of Harris following a swift Dagenham counter, and Donovan Wilson then flashed a shot wide of the target after turning just outside the box when bringing down a throw-in.
Half-Time: Weston-super-Mare AFC 0 – 0 Dagenham & Redbridge
At the beginning of the second half, Dawes went the closest yet when he saw an effort from 18 yards strike the crossbar and bounce away after shifting the ball onto his right foot. Half-time substitute Hicks, on in place of Coulson, went close on two occasions within the space of a minute, his first shot rolling through for Howes before seeing a second attempt blocked by a Dagenham foot.
The Seagulls were to break the deadlock just past the hour mark when a long clearance upfield by Harris bounced all the way through for Dawes in the left channel and not giving up despite Howes’ advances, he drilled a cross in before being wiped out by the visiting shot-stopper. With Coulson off the pitch, Britton stepped up to the spot and calmly sent Howes the wrong way for his third goal of the campaign and the first on home soil.
Dodd then got an opportunity to go for goal 25 yards out, his driven effort being beaten away by Howes.
A second was to soon come for the home side, in fortuitous circumstances. A Harris goal-kick from the left touchline hurled towards the penalty area, and under pressure, Sam Graham got his clearance wrong to head down and past Howes for a second Seagulls goal.
Skinner then went close from 25 yards, curling a shot wide of the target on the turn.
The final goal of a remarkable afternoon came when Hicks won the ball in midfield and flicked the ball over his marker onto the chest of Jagger Cane. The No.4 chested the ball back to his midfield partner, allowing Hicks to drive forward into space. Releasing Pearson into the area, the forward took one touch and slotted low past Howes for his second of the campaign.
Weston saw the rest of the game out comfortably, and we now head into our meeting with Maidstone United this Tuesday under The Optima lights second in the table.
Full – Time: Weston-super-Mare AFC 3 – 0 Dagenham & Redbridge (Britton pen 61, Graham OG 71, Pearson 86)
Attendance: 1,143.
Weston XI: Harris, Smith, Jagger Cane (Woods 90+3), Avery, Coulson (Hicks 46), Dodd, Britton (Pearson 75), Dawes (Waite 62), Lewis (C), Skinner (Salmon 85), Martin.
Unused substitutes: Wood, Glover.
MOTM: Emlyn Lewis. Another dominant performance at the back from the Seagulls skipper, winning many aerial duels and driving his team forward on and off the ball through his leadership and sheer determination.
