We produced a hugely spirited display to earn a backs-to-the wall victory at Dagenham and Redbridge.

With illness and injury still causing issues, and both Alex Lacey and Richard Brindley being forced off at half-time, Jayden Richardson's dangerous cross was turned into his own net by Will Wright to earn us the three points.

Dagenham had taken an early lead through Junior Morias, only for Lacey to equalise from debutant Harry Arter's corner.

There was mixed news on the player availability front as Harry Arter was given his debut, Richard Brindley returned in defence and Elisha Sam took a place on the bench.

Both Cal Roberts and Ruben Rodrigues missed out, however, along with continued absentees Kyle Cameron and Jim O’Brien.

Arter formed a three-man midfield partnership alongside Matt Palmer and Frank Vincent, with Alex Lacey, Connell Rawlinson and Brindley forming a central defensive trio.

Adam Chicksen took up a left wing back role, with Jayden Richardson on the opposite side and Kairo Mitchell partnering skipper Kyle Wootton up front.

It wasn’t the start we were looking for as, with six minutes on the clock, Morias broke the offside trap and managed to bring the ball under control before firing it beyond Richardson and Jaros from eight yards.

Jaros was equal to the forward shorly afterwards, standing firm at his near post to block the shot, a minute before we came within inches of restoring parity.

The chance came as a result of a good move which saw Wootton release Vincent into the area. The midfielder dinked the ball beyond the goalkeeper and Mitchell looked certain to tap it home at the back post, only to arrive a fraction too late to make contact on the slide.

Morias was proving to be the hosts’ danger man and bounced an effort off the top of the bar on 22 minutes, shortly before Myles Weston went into the book for a rash challenge on Richardson.

Our control was growing as the half wore on and, two minutes after Wootton had misjudged a header from Vincent’s cross, Lacey made no mistake with a nodded effort of his own when Arter’s excellent corner picked him out to produce the perfect header to draw us level.

Half chances followed for both sides before the break, with Vincent sending a 20-yard effort over following Arter’s surging run and a lofted cross to the back post having just too much loft on it for McCallum who couldn’t get his header on target.

Half-time saw Burchnall forced into two changes, with the unwell Lacey and injured Brindley making way for Elisha Sam and Dion Kelly-Evans as we switched to a flat back four with Chicksen partnering Rawlinson, and Kelly-Evans at left back.

The second period began with booking for Daggers duo Elliott Johnson and Dean Rance, the latter perhaps lucky to escape with only a yellow following a nasty-looking challenge on Vincent.

Arter bobbled a shot wide from 20 yards before entering the book himself for a lunging challenge on Morias – his final real action before making way for Francis shortly after the hour.

It had been a good start to the half and we were rewarded on 64 minutes when Richardson bundled his way through a couple of challenges to escape into the right-hand side of the box. With Wootton looming behind him, Wright could only turn the wing back’s dangerous cross into his own net in front of the jubilant Pies faithful.

The hosts responded with a big opportunity for experienced front man Paul McCallum, who headed over when well-placed inside the area shortly before directing a more difficult header into the side-netting.

As the clock ticked down it was becoming a backs-to-the-wall job for our makeshift defence, with Jaros producing an excellent save to keep Myles Weston’s volley out and Chicksen bundling the loose ball on to the post and behind.

Plenty of balls were pumped into our box and well defended – and with three minutes of normal time remaining we nearly nicked a third when Wootton span his man in the area and forced Elliot Justham into a save at his near post.

Inside four added minutes there was one final scare as a deflected Daggers shot flew just wide of the post.

But relief soon followed as the referee called time on a successful trip to Essex.

STARTING XI: Jaros; Lacey, Rawlinson, Brindley; Chicksen, Richardson; Arter, Palmer, Vincent; Mitchell, Woootton

SUBS: Kelly-Evans, Francis, Brunt, Nemane, Sam

BOOKINGS: Arter 59', Jaros 94'

ATTENDANCE: 1,846 (420)