Andrew Boyce was on target but United were defeated 2-1 at Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday afternoon.

The Iron entered the game making two changes from the side that faced Maidstone United a week earlier, as Marcus Carver and Dan Gallimore came in for the suspended Joe Nuttall and also Jai Rowe.

There was an early attack for the Iron as Carver won an aerial dual which set Rob Apter on his way. The hosts gained possession but Beestin charged down Manny Onariase’s clearance and burst into the box, with Elliot Justham making a save at his near post.

With five minutes gone, there was a corner to the Iron as Carver was slipped in on the right by Apter. He unleasheed a shot from 18 yards which took a deflection and skipped up and into the side-netting.

From the subsequent corner, George Taft rose highest from the delivery. He headed on goal and it looked as though it took a touch from a Dagenham defender but the referee stuttered before awarding a goal kick.

On seven minutes, United again pressed the Daggers’ backline and forced a mistake, which goalkeeper Justham rectified. The Iron pressed again and almost forced a second error before the hosts sent the ball forward.

Two minutes later, Dagenham's Harry Phipps was denied at the near post from a corner by Marcus Dewhurst.

In the 13th minute, Josh Walker skipped into the penalty area for the hosts on the right-hand side and drew Dewhurst into a smart save at his near post with his feet, resulting in a corner for the Daggers.

Taft headed away the initial corner as he was hauled down, but there was no foul given. The hosts retained possession and set a ball into the box which was headed home by Phipps.

After 20 minutes, Onariase passed to Jacob Butterfield, who strode in on goal. He reached the area, but saw his shot turned behind for a corner by Onariase.

From it, Apter sent a ferocious volley towards goal, only for a deflection to turn the effort behind.

But the Iron did level from the next corner, through Boyce. The skipper was whacked in the face following the set-play, but play continued and he repositioned himself to expertly volley the ball into the bottom corner following Pugh’s right-winged cross, for his second goal of the season.

With 28 minutes gone, there was a shout for an Iron penalty as Dewhurst sent his kick long. Caolan Lavery did well to pressure Onariase as the ball dropped in the box. Carver was then taken out by Onariase, but the referee wasn’t interested.

The home side's Matt Robinson then took aim and fired over the bar from 25-yards for the hosts shortly after a good defensive sliding tackle from Taft inside the penalty area.

Butterfield was again the architect of an Iron attack on 32 minutes before passing onto Alfie Beestin who turned Omar Mussa twice before slotting into space. Lavery got a toe on the ball, shifting it to Apter, who saw his low shot saved by Justham’s right boot.

There was then a penalty shout from the hosts as Walker took a tumble inside the box. The referee was again unmoved though.

After, it was a corner to the hosts as a left-winged cross was turned behind. The delivery was headed over at the near post.

In the 40th minute, there was a superb reactionary save from Dewhurst as he somehow grasped the ball from behind him as a low cross from the right looked to be rolling over the line.

Early in the second half, the hosts won a free-kick which was whipped in towards goal and turned behind for a corner, which was headed away by Lavery and then Beestin.

In the 49th minute, United counter-attacked with the ball rolled to Apter. He cut onto his left foot and saw an effort blocked before Pugh’s low cross was met by Carver’s boot, sending the effort into the side-netting.

On 59 minutes, Apter surged into the box after rolling his marker from a throw. In came Onariase though with a well-timed tackle as the Blackpool loanee looked to pull the trigger.

Two minutes later, there was a corner to the hosts as Boyce turned the ball behind following Walker’s advances down the left, but United got it clear.

After a foul on Beestin on the edge of the area, Butterfield set the free-kick over the wall and out for a goal kick.

The 66th minute saw a auperb save from Dewhurst as he surged off his line to narrow the angle and deny Junior Morias, who was slipped in. He was quickly up and made a further save at his near post.

With 70 minutes gone, Pugh seized possession on the right and surged forward. He then clipped into Butterfield, who shrugged off one defender before lashing a left-footed effort narrowly wide of the target from 25-yards.

On 80 minutes, Carver knocked down a ball on the edge of the box, and Apter latched onto the first-time shot, but Justham saved his effort.

Five minutes later, the Daggers went ahead as substitute Jay Bird converted from a right-wing cross.

There was a Scunthorpe change soon after, as Lavery was replaced by Colin Daniel.

Bird came close to adding a third Dagenham goal in the 88th minute as his volley from the left side of the area ricocheted back into play off the post.

There was a further alteration for the Iron, with Gallimore coming off and Cameron Wilson replacing him.

The fourth official indicated four additional minutes but United couldn't get the leveller, with Butterfield sending a low effort wide two minutes into the added time.

Indeed, the hosts' Walker had a late effort from the right of the area cannon back into play in the final minute.

Scunthorpe return to action next Saturday when they visit Wealdstone.

DAGENHAM: Justham, Hare, Onariase, Mussa (Bird, 75), Walker, Sagaf, Weston, Robinson, Phipps, Morias, Taylor.

DAGENHAM SUBS NOT USED: Johnson, Saunders, Zouma, Janneh.

IRON: Dewhurst, O'Malley, Boyce, Beestin, Carver, Lavery (Daniel, 87), Taft, Butterfield, Apter, Gallimore (Wilson, 89), Pugh.

IRON SUBS NOT USED: Foster, Rowe, Young.

ATTENDANCE: 1,579 (118 away).