A 3-2 midweek win over 10-man Aldershot Town failed to convince manager Ben Strevens of significant progress as Dagenham & Redbridge returned to winning ways in the National League.

After spending most of the first half struggling out of possession, the Daggers raced into a three-goal lead in the second period thanks to goals from Dion Pereira (penalty), Luca Woodhouse and Junior Morais and took control of the game late on.

But Aldershot's late fightback, despite seeing Theo Widdrington sent off, seemed to worry Strevens when he spoke to the press post-match.

“There was a lot of tension in the performance. Especially in the first half. We were nothing like ourselves,” he told the club website.

“We played with fear of losing the game rather than being fearless and trying to win the game.

"I spoke to them at half-time, and we came out really bright. We got into a 3-0 lead with one of their players being sent off as well, which was deserved because he elbowed Trent (Rendall).

"Then, the tension came back again. We felt it on the sideline because of the games we’ve been ahead. After Saturday [defeat at Tamworth], we’ve been ahead in nine games and managed to not win.

“The tension came into the boys tonight. There was tension in the stadium, and I certainly felt it. But, come the end of the game and the final whistle, I’ve been stood here so many times this season when we’ve only got a point or a defeat.

“We got three points tonight, and that’s what we turn up and do it for. That’s what we got tonight.”

Loan signing Tim Akinola missed out on a return to action as he felt  ‘something’ after coming on in the defeat at Tamworth last weekend.

And the Daggers boss was unsure of a return date for the former Arsenal academy graduate.

He added: “Tim came on and felt something again, so we’ve had him scanned. We’re waiting to look at it, but I don’t think we’ve had anything back yet. We’ll have to wait and see what happens over the next couple of days.

“It’s been a key theme (of the season). Trent coming back and playing his first full 90 minutes. If I’m being honest, if Oscar [Rutherford] would have been alright, I would have taken him off with 20 to go, as I think he started to get leggy.

“All in all, there’s lots of things that we’re managing. I understand that people get frustrated, but with those injuries that we’re trying to overcome and manage the best we can, we can change the game with our bench for the last 15 or 20 minutes.

“We’re five points off the play-offs, but I’m not papering over anything tonight. We need to be better.

" understand the tension within the team, so it’s probably a good thing that we go from league matters into a fantastic FA Cup tie on Saturday.”

The Daggers make the trip across London to face Wimbledon in round two of the FA Cup on Saturday, with the match live on ITV (7.15pm), before hosting a Nottingham Forest Academy XI in the National League Cup just three days later.