Last-gasp Effiong earns Strevens first win as Dagenham & Redbridge boss

The hosts took the lead just before the break through a fine Aaron Jarvis effort, but Inih Effiong levelled from the spot after substitute Sydney Ibie won a penalty soon after joining the action.

And Effiong won it in stoppage time as he moved the ball onto his right foot and fired past Mark Halstead to give new boss Ben Strevens a first victory in his second game in charge.

Strevens visitors made just one change to their starting line-up, following the 1-1 draw with Oldham Athletic at Victoria Road a week earlier, as Mauro Vilhete came in for George Saunders.

And both sides won early corners, with Jay Bird heading tamely into the hands of Halstead from Josh Hare’s delivery on seven minutes.

A cross from Jack Stobbs couldn’t find the head of Kieron Evans, but another delivery on 17 minutes picked out Asa Hall who nodded just wide.

And Stobbs then saw a shot turned behind by Josh Strizovic on 20 minutes as the hosts got another glimpse of goal.

Manny Onariase picked up the first yellow card of the game when bringing down Lewis Collins just outside the box on 35 minutes, with Jarvis seeing his free-kick deflected behind.

But it was a fairly lacklustre first half for the most part, with neither goalkeeper seriously troubled until stoppage time when Kevin Dawson won the ball and Jarvis beat Strizovic with a stunning effort from beyond 25 yards.

Daggers saw Vilhete send an early chance wide after the restart, but Hare was then harshly booked for a challenge on Jarvis on 55 minutes and Ross Marshall put a free header wide for the Gulls moments later.

Matt Robinson tried his luck from range without seriously testing Halstead, while Hare saw a free-kick blocked by the defensive wall before George Saunders replaced Sam Ling in the first change of the day for Daggers.

Bird made way for Sydney Ibie with a quarter of an hour remaining, with the substitute making an immediate impact as he produced a driving run into the box and drew a foul from a home player to win a penalty.

And Effiong stepped up to convert from the spot, finding the corner of the net to claim his fifth goal since joining from Aldershot.

Mo Sagaf had his name taken for a strong challenge on Collins and Daggers had a late let-off as Torquay debutant Frank Nouble found the net but saw it ruled out for offside.

Effiong then took centre stage at the death to ensure a happy journey home from Devon, ahead of another long trip to Gateshead on Tuesday.

Dagenham & Redbridge: Strizovic, Hare, Johnson, Onariase, Effiong, Sagaf, Robinson, Phipps, Ling (Saunders 69), Vilhete (Longe-King 90), Bird (Ibie 75). Unused subs: Dixson, Franz.