A pair of excellent strikes from Josh Rees and Dion Pereira saw Dagenham & Redbridge begin their 2024/25 National League campaign with a frantic 2-1 home win over Wealdstone on Saturday.

In a feisty season opener, the Daggers came straight out of the blocks and should have been ahead inside 40 seconds.

A clipped pass in behind the Wealdstone defence landed nicely in the path of Paul Kalambayi, whose cushioned headed cross found Reece Grego-Cox as the far post, but the forward’s effort clipped the outside of the woodwork when it seemed easier to score.

As the half progressed, Matt Taylor’s influence from the touchline became clear to see on the pitch.

Enzio Boldewijn’s surging run down the left flank midway through the half personified the demands of the former West Ham man, but Boldewijn’s strike was easily smothered by a sea of bodies in the Dagenham penalty area.

During a quiet period of the match for the Daggers, Wealdstone’s first shot on target came when Tom Eastman brought down Hendry Sandat on the edge of the box.

Alex Dyer stepped up to force a good save from Daggers keeper Elliot Justham, whose outstretched arm tipped the ball over the bar for a Wealdstone corner.

The home side then began to turn the screw on Taylor’s men and had the ball in the net on the half-hour mark when Jack Cook’s sloppy back pass inside his own box found the feet of Reece Grego-Cox.

His strike deflected in off Stones captain Adrian Mariappa, but the linesman’s flag was quickly raised to quash any Daggers fans’ celebrations.

Wealdstone should have gone ahead late in the first half as a poor backpass allowed Yacou Traore time and space inside the Dagenham box, but a wave of arriving bodies seemed to deter the Stones forward and he lost his footing to see the chance go begging.

The second half started much like the first, as a chaotic opening five minutes saw the Wealdstone post struck twice in quick sucession.

Daggers forward Pereira, who started the second half brilliantly, brought the ball down inside the Wealdstone box but could only strike the outside of the upright from a brilliant curling effort.

Rees then smashed the rebound at Stones keeper Archie Matthews, who tipped the ball off the inside of the near post to keep the scores level.

The pressure from Dagenham would soon tell, however, as they took the lead in the 56th minute.

The outstanding Pereira picked up the ball on the halfway line and surged towards goal with intent.

As no options opened up ahead of him, the Antiguan beat two Stones defenders before threading a perfect pass through to Rees, who finished expertly to give Ben Strevens’ side a deserved lead.

In response to going a goal behind, Taylor’s side immediately looked considerably better and nearly drew level through Traore once more were it not for another raised flag.

A pair of poor crosses with the frustrated figure of Sam Ashford in space kept the Stones behind, with Dagenham suddenly unable to play out of their own half.

The visiting side’s relentless pressure offered little respite for the Daggers, and they found themselves pegged back thanks to a brilliantly executed effort from the in-form Ashford.

The pre-season star found space in the Dagenham box and repositioned his body well to squeeze a header through the legs of Justham and draw Taylor’s side level.

The away fans’ celebrations were soon cut short, though, as man of the match Pereira crept in behind the Wealdstone defence to fire the Daggers back in front with just eight minutes to play.

A scrappy final few minutes allowed the away side time to float endless balls into the Dagenham box, but it wasn’t enough as Strevens’ side began their National League campaign with victory.