PRETTY it wasn’t, but this three-point haul maintained Town’s magnificent run of results and their hopes of automatic promotion.

Jordan Rhodes, restored to the starting side after being on the bench for the wins at Charlton and MK Dons, grabbed the goals which dumped hard-working Dagenham and Redbridge in the drop zone.

The first was a simple ninth-minute finish from Benik Afobe’s pass and the second, his 22nd of the campaign, a neat 31st-minute header from Gary Roberts’ cross which came three minutes after Frenchman Romain Vincelot equalised with a rising shot.

Ian Bennett got a hand to that one, and Town had their veteran keeper to thank for keeping the Londoners at bay in the 71st minute, when he dived to block from John Akinde after the on-loan Bristol City man had rolled a shot against the left-hand post.

With Town unable to get the third goal which would surely have snuffed out any chance of a draw, it all got a bit nervy in the second half.

But that’s 23 League I games unbeaten, three wins in succession, nine from the last 12 matches and 83 points, just two less than QPR, who are closing in on the Championship title.

Town got off to a great start, with the opener down to the power and persistence of Afobe.

The on-loan Arsenal ace, whose family home is just down the road from Dagenham’s ground, latched onto Peter Clarke’s pass and held off centre-back Will Antwi before crossing for Rhodes to prod the ball home.

Rhodes shot over from another tee-up by Afobe, who then turned left-back Femi Ilesanmi on the edge of the box, only for Tony Roberts to save.

The former Welsh international keeper, whose physique brought good-natured taunts from Town’s fans, made an even better stop in the 21st minute, blocking one-handed to deny Jack Hunt, who again played on the right side of midfield.

Dagenham’s leveller came in controversial circumstances, with Vincelot driving home Akinde’s pass with Town temporarily down to 10 men as Lee Peltier waited to come back on after catching a stray boot on the side of his head.

But the natural order of the first half was restored when Roberts picked up Kevin Kilbane’s pass and crossed from the left for Rhodes to show his predatory instincts with a near-post header.

Town survived a penalty appeal after Danny Green went down under Gary Naysmith’s challenge before, in stoppage time, Afobe created space for himself with a neat piece of control from another Roberts cross only to see his shot held by Roberts.