Dagenham and Redbridge 2 Stevenage Boro 2 FOUR goals in the opening quarter of an hour were the highlight of this lively encounter. The game got off to a tremendous start with Boro 2-0 up inside five minutes. In the first attack, timed at 33 seconds, they

Dagenham and Redbridge 2 Stevenage Boro 2

FOUR goals in the opening quarter of an hour were the highlight of this lively encounter.

The game got off to a tremendous start with Boro 2-0 up inside five minutes.

In the first attack, timed at 33 seconds, they were ahead. Full-back Ronnie Henry found Adam Miller and from his cross, Jon Nurse swept a low effort past Tony Roberts.

Four and a half minutes later, Boro scored their second from the penalty spot.

A George Boyd flick forward had the dangerous Nurse racing into the area.

Roberts, sensing the danger, raced from goal and in punching clear, heavily knocked over Nurse.

Referee Ward clearly felt the keeper took the man before the ball and pointed to the spot. Dino Maamria calmly slotted in the penalty.

The home side needed a quick response and got one in five minutes.

Sam Saunders floated over an inch-perfect free-kick to the back post, where skipper Tim Cole was left unmarked to head past Alan Julian from close quarters.

Four minutes later, it was all square.

Awarded another free-kick 35 yards out, Saunders whipped in a dipping effort that clipped off Rob Quinn to beat everyone in the area, including keeper Julian, and finish in the bottom corner.

After the early goal blitz, Danny Foster, Daggers' converted midfielder, had the best two chances to win this thrill-a-minute contest, with an opportunity in each half.

In a game of numerous openings, Foster's first opportunity, just past the half-hour, clearly took the ex-full-back by surprise.

Man of the match Saunders cut between two defenders and found Foster unmarked on the far post.

The ball hit the Daggers' player, rather than he hit it, and bounced harmlessly into the arms of Julian.

The second, 20 minutes from time, was just after Daggers introduced their latest signing, former Hitchin striker Cliff Akurang.

With his first contribution, Akurang sent top scorer Chris Moore away.

He outpaced the cover down the left and pulled over a dangerous cross that again found Foster unattended on the back post. This time, he miscued his effort back across the face of goal.

There was generally little to choose between the two sides, although Boro's need was the greater as they bid for the play-offs.

Foster's two openings were the best the home side had, while Craig Mackail-Smith also shook off the attentions of Henry only to fire straight at Julian.

Either side of the first Foster chance, Stevenage had a Maamria shot straight at Roberts, while the keeper was much more extended to tip away an on-target effort from Dannie Bulman.

The second half could not match the first for excitement but Daggers had a massive let-off when Roberts volleyed a clearance from a Shane Blackett high back-pass against Jefferson Louis, only to see it luckily bounce away from goal.

At the other end, Julian went full length to tip away a Foster cross that looked set to find Mackail-Smith unmarked.

There were late chances for Akurang and Boyd but an even 90 minutes ended with the right score.

Dagenham boss John Still said: "It was a fine, open game and it was probably the right result but I felt we had the edge in chances.''