ACCRINGTON manager John Coleman needed David Brown to just take a little longer with his goal so he left Dagenham with £50 as well as the three points.

The manager's "Golden Goal" ticket read 50 minutes but Brown denied his gaffer a financial boost by firing home in the minute before.

But the three points against fellow play-off chasers Dagenham was just the ticket for the manager, his players and the fans as the Reds roared into joint top spot.

It was just reward as Stanley continued to find the Glyn Hopkin Stadium a happy hutning ground with three wins out of three visits there in the Conference.

And the victory made it five wins out of five with winger Gary Roberts putting in the quality away performance he had been promising.

"We have been questioning Gary but Dagenham was as good as it gets for a winger away from home," said Coleman. "He chased back, tackled, harried and going forward he bordered on unstoppable and, at times, it was frightening. It was just a shame he never capped it with a goal."

He did, however, have a hand in both, having the shot which led to Brown's opener followed by a neat move with Anthony Barry which led to Barry being felled in the area - and Ian Craney converting from the spot.

The Daggers made sure they almost stuck the knife in with a goal to give Stanley their usual nervy ending - but the visitors did more than enough to hold on.

"We need to believe in ourselves a little more but we are starting to play more like I want us to," continued the boss. "We are always dangerous going forward and, if we are attacking, it keeps the other teams at arms lengths."

For the first time in four games, the manager had to shuffle his pack. Left back Chris Butler made his first start of the season in place of the injured Leam Richardson, Steve Jagielka dropped to right back to replace Peter Cavanagh, who was out for family reasons, and loan star Paul Brown made his first start.

The Reds have been known for being quick out the blocks this season and Craney's third minute corner was cleared off the line, Paul Mullin couldn't get power onto a shot in the six yard box while Roberts spotted the keeper off his line and tried to chip him but his effort was narrowly wide.

Mullin did get the ball in the net on 32 minutes but it was ruled off-side while Paul Brown's drive was over the bar.

In fact, it was all Stanley going forwards in the first half with the Daggers only real chance coming two minutes before the break when Tresor Kandol volleyed into the side netting.

After the interval, player/coach Paul Cook screamed from the dug-outs for his side to "lift the tempo" - and within a minute the ball was in the net.

Roberts broke and his shot ricocheted off the legs of Daggers keeper Tony Roberts and fell nicely for David Brown. He started to walk the ball into the net but the defenders started getting back so he quickly fired it home for his fifth goal of the season.

The goal sparked the Daggers into life with Kandol drilling into the side netting again when it may have been better to pass.

But soon Stanley were celebrating their second when Barry was tackled from behind by Glen Southam. The ref immediately pointed to the penalty spot and, in the absence of Cavanagh, Craney sent the keeper the wrong way.

But Southam soon made amends for his mistake by sending Craig Mackail-Smith racing down the wing and he passed into the area.

Kandol and Robbie Williams were waiting but the Daggers striker got the final touch to make it a nail-biting finale.

And this goal lifted the home crowd as Dagenham then piled on the pressure.

They had a good opportunity to equalise soon after when they got a free kick for a back pass six yards from Stanley's goal and there was a lot of fuss before Chris Moore tried to blast it - and it canoned off the wall to safety.

Dagenham then pushed three up front and their long balls over the top were certainly testing for the Stanley backline.

But they coped with the pressure and the Reds could have made it safe with one minute left when Andy Mangan broke to the by-line and passed back for the in-rushing David Brown but, with the keeper stranded, Ashley Vickers cleared off the line.

Then, in the three nerve jangling minutes of injury time, Mackail-Smith played two dangerous balls into the box to sub Paul Benson but Robbie Williams did superbly well to block both efforts and make sure the Reds left Dagenham smiling - again.