A DISPUTED second-half penalty and some desperate late defending by Dagenham meant Town had to make do with a third successive draw.
The returning Tom Clarke sparked hopes of victory on Town’s first visit to the East London club with a first-half opener.
But Danny Green levelled from the spot in the 58th minute and all Town’s efforts to restore their lead were repelled.
In the tight confines of Victoria Road – a homely ground which shows its non-league roots – Town were, as expected, without Gary Naysmith because of the calf injury picked up in Saturday’s draw at Bournemouth.
But boss Lee Clark was forced to deal with the late withdrawal of Jamie McCombe through illness, and with natural replacement Antony Kay starting a two-match ban, chose to play versatile Lee Peltier at centre-back, with Kevin Kilbane on his left.
In addition, there was a surprise full debut for 19-year-old Chris Atkinson alongside Tom Clarke and Joey Gudjonsson in midfield, while Danny Cadamarteri made the starting side for the first time since his return to Town, with Alan Lee dropping to the bench.
Dagenham received a pre-match boost as they moved off the bottom of League I after crisis club Plymouth’s 10-point deduction was confirmed.
It was a battle between two veteran keepers, with 39-year-old Ian Bennett, a former Dagenham loan player, trying to outdo ex-Wales international Tony Roberts, 41.
Roberts was the first in action, saving Tom Clarke’s early long-range drive, but Dagenham responded strongly, and were denied a strong-looking penalty shout for handball by Gudjonsson in the third minute.
A corner was given instead, and Tom Clarke cleared Romain Vincelot’s header.
Manager Clark had warned Dagenham were dangerous at set plays, and Cadamarteri had to head clear from Darren Currie’s corner before Green’s 12th-minute free-kick was headed wide by captain Mark Arber.
But Town came close twice in as many minutes as Atkinson’s header was parried by keeper Roberts, with his Town namesake Gary firing over from the rebound, before Anthony Pilkington cut in from the right on a mazy run, only to see his low shot saved.
It was end-to-end action, and after the ball became wedged under Peter Clarke’s legs, Town had to deal with a 19th-minute drop ball on the edge of their own six-yard box, Gudjonsson managing to flick the ball to safety.
Atkinson was looking more than at home, and it was his diagonal pass to Pilkington which helped bring the corner which led to Town’s breakthrough goal in the 28th minute.
Roberts played the flag kick short to Gudjonsson, whose low ball into the box was flicked into the net by Tom Clarke.
Pilkington was also impressing, and such was his domination down the right, Dagenham replaced left-back Oluwafemi Ilesanmi with substitute Damien McCrory on the half hour.
Dagenham were stirred by Town’s opener, and right winger Green lashed in a low shot which flew across the face of the goal and narrowly wide.
Town came close nine minutes into the second half when Jack Hunt’s cross found Roberts, his volley hitting the base of the left-hand post.
And they were made the rue the miss when Dagenham equalised with a controversial 58th-minute penalty given against Peltier, Green making no mistake with a firm shot straight down the middle.
Clark’s men had a spot-kick claim of their own turned down when substitute Benik Afobe went down under Scott Doe’s 73rd-minute challenge.
Both teams had chances to win it in the 82nd minute, when Dagenham’s Arber and Town’s Afobe both had headers saved.
And the 660 away fans were on the edge of their seats as Roberts drove against the left-hand post before Afobe and fellow substitute Jordan Rhodes both came close with shots.
