Blues boss Paul Sturrock made one change to his starting line up with Bilel Mohsni being recalled in attack in place of Ryan Leonard who failed a late fitness test on a back problem and was omitted from the squad, though returned from injury keeper Glen Morris did make the bench.
For the Daggers, Kevin Maher was not passed fit to face his former club but ex-wideboy Damien Scannell was named as a sub sadly not to be brought on.
'Well, that was a funny old game' said defender Mark Phillips afterwards, and it was indeed, especially after a mixture of Brakspear's and Mageners before, during, and after the Shrimpers 3-2 victory at the Victoria Road stadium Saturday!
A sureally warm November afternoon with plenty of sunlight greeted the players and while it got colder as darkness decended on this suburb of east London it remained hot enough on the pitch with plenty of action in a five-goal thriller.
With the different form showed by the teams leading in to this League Two clash that may have made you think it was 5-0 or 4-1, but no, it was much more closer than that, and a draw would not have been unfair on the Dagenham & Redbridge side that has failed to pick up three points since the first of October, and have now lost eight league games on the trot while sinking in to the bottom two.
On the other hand it's fourteen unbeaten for table topping Southend who have won twelve of those without reaching consistanty dominant form in most of them.
Who said footy was fair.
A cagey start to the match with lots of high stuff from both sides before a touch of class from the visitors in front of goal, the main difference between the sides that gave the points to the Shrimpers, gave them the lead.
Fourteeen minutes in and Liam Dickinson, in his best match for me in a Blue, or cherry voltage, shirt, edged out for MOM for me by the brace grabbing Ferdy, who found Ryan Hall on the left, and, yes you know what happened next, a typical accurate low cross was met a sliding Kane Ferdinand and he side footed the ball home from close range.
Outbreaks of mass hugging and cheering amongst the 1,500 travelling faithfull, including Bilel Mohsni, who else bless, finding his way in to the referee's notebook for taking his celebrations with a fan a bit too far for the match official!
So not quite more that the Daggers fans in the 3,259 attendance, easily their biggest of the season, though I did see a few smiling faces in the home ends, and an expectation of a nice stress-free afternoon.
Not a bit of it, just five minutes later as Dag & Red were level! Debuatant loanee Hammer Cristian Montano twisted and turned in the area, as some of us had seen him do in an earlier spell with Notts County, tried his luck from 12 yards out, no problem for Luke Daniels in our goal though, whoops, it was, the ball went in between his legs!
Now that was a surprise, especially as the Shrimpers continued to have more possession and look the stronger outfit, their left back Damien McCrory having a particularly torrid time, no surprise to learn he's usually a winger, he would have been best out of it, Southend's second goal really catching him out.
Before that Bilel Mohnsi shot wide from the left, Hall followed up from the other flank, and it flashed over the bar by inches, Michael Timlin then with the best, a super effort after Dickinson set him up, well saved by Daggers custodian Chris Lewington, who was looking dodgy up to thta point.
You felt a goal had to come, and on 33 minutes it did.
A cracking square pass by Sean Clohessy found Mohsni unmarked, he continued his run into the penalty area, another hard low cross, from closer range this time, and there was Dickinson to find the net from six yards out. Lovely.
He collected the ball in the right hand side of the penalty area before rolling a cross in to the path of Dickinson who rolled a first time finish in to the bottom left corner of the net from six yards.
His seventh of the season but his first since September the 30th, and in open play as well, that should shut up Hall & Phillips who have been winding the former Stockport hitman through twitter about his ability to get up the scoring charts by only scoring from spot kicks!
Liam nearly made it eight as well, but failed to get on the end of a decent fredinand cross before the Daggers reminded us their were two teams in this contest when Jon Nurse let loose from 20 yards but Daniels went back into the saving mode he has showed since signing for the club by getting his fingertips to the ball to push it behind the goal for a corner.
So off to the bar for more Magners and this time confident the second half would be far easier.
Oh no it wasn't, it was worse!
Four minutes after the break, Abu Ogogo was allowed free reign to run through the centre of the Shrimpers midfield who had gone AWOL before letting loose a 25 yarder which flew past Daniels and it was 2-2!
The manager in the Romford Weatherspoons I popped in to for a swift bottle of Efes afterwards told me the game was now becoming a must watch on the score updates showing on the Beeb, the racing must have finished then!
It was now time for some brief backs to the wall defending that Barker and Phillips love so much waiting for that typical Luggy side counter attack, away or at Roots Hall, and on 64 minutes it came.
A sublime pass by Dickinson found Ferdinand who had yards on the nearest Daggers defender, the much fancied teenager went around Lewington who had rushed out of his goal, and rolled the ball confidently in to the empty net.
An extra nought added on his sell price after this performance!
I texted the German, 'we can't blow it this time', but we nearly did, or more accurately Dagenham nearly got a third equaliser by their own determined play.
The second debutant loanee of the afternoon centre-back Michael Spillane headed Damien McCrory’s free-kick from the left just wide, followed by Phil Walsh seeing his header tipped over by a busier Daniels this half from another McCrory set-piece.
Then, with only five minutes left, the moment when you knew the men in Blue would remain top of the league, when than man Montano, who for a little bloke found space and outjumped his taller opponents, to head from only six yards out what looked a certain goal from my seat right behind the net, only for Daniels brilliantly saving to his right at full stretch, not only that, but in a heartbeat having the presence of mind, to get upright and push clear the McCrory follow-up for an outstanding double save.
That's more like it Luke, and giving him a six seems so unfair after his good work after the interval, but that opening Daggers goal has to loose a couple of marks, who would be a goalie?!
Job done, just, and after the cup replay v Preston Tuesday, another struggling side in Bristol Rovers at Roots Hall next weekend, the Gasmen losing 2-0 at home to Barnet, to try and keep this great run going; into the new year would be nice!
Southend player markings: Daniels - 6, Clohessy - 6, Barker - 6, Phillips - 6, Gilbert - 6, Ferdinand - 8, Kalala - 6, Timlin - 6, Mohsni - 6, Dickinson - 7, Hall - 6.
Referee: Mr. L. Collins - 6.