Lightning struck twice as Ebbsfleet conceded a late equaliser to Dagenham for the second time in a week on New Years Day.

Dagenham denied Fleet three points on Boxing Day and they repeated the trick with an 85th-minute leveller at Stonebridge Road.

Newly-appointed Ebbsfleet director of football Steve Lovell watched on from the stands as his new club faced a crunch clash against one of the teams just above the relegation zone.

Although Dagenham saw plenty of the ball in the opening minutes it was Ebbsfleet who took a sixth-minute lead.

Reid shot wide from distance before his persistence paid off a minute later. Gozie Ugwu’s flick created indecision in the Dagenham defence and as Toby Stevenson and keeper Elliot Justham got in each other’s way, Reid was on hand to slide home the loose ball.

John Goddard’s right-foot shot two minutes later was straight at Justham as the visitors were clearly rattled by conceding so early.

Just as Fleet were dominating, they nearly pressed the self-destruct button themselves. Keeper Jordan Holmes’ clearance went straight to Chike Kandi, who wrongly opted to try for a long-distance wonder goal instead of playing in the unmarked Joan Luque to his left.

Fleet had a golden chance to double their advantage eight minutes before the break. Ugwu did well to hold off the attentions of defender Manny Onariase but his right-foot shot fell perfectly into the path of Reid, whose left-foot shot from 12 yards was blocked by the body of Justham.

Goddard was booked six minutes after the break for a timely foul on Dagenham’s Chike Kandi as the visitors broke three-on-one after Andre Blackman’s misjudged a header near halfway.

Boxing Day might well have been playing on Ebbsfleet’s minds in a nervy second half as the hosts struggled to put two passes together at times.

It needed a goalline clearance by King to prevent Alex McQueen levelling for Dagenham midway through the second half.

But the Fleet still looked troubled as Dagenham piled bodies forward. The ineffective Ayo Obileye conceded a needless free-kick on the edge of his own box and Wright’s free-kick took a flick off the defensive wall to wrong-foot keeper Holmes and find the back of the net.

Ebbsfleet nearly regained the lead with a minute left when Reid’s clever pass found Ugwu but his close-range finish was saved by the legs of Justham. Such moments will no doubt define Fleet's season by the end of April.

Ebbsfleet: Holmes, Ekpiteta, King, Cordner, Blackman, Reid, Obileye, Sutherland (Adeloye 77mins), Payne, Goddard (Egan 65mins), Ugwu. Subs not used: Umerah, Palmer, Grimes.

Dagenham: Justham, W Wright, Onariase, Clark (D Wright 82mins), Stevenson (Quigley 73mins), Croll, McQueen, Robinson, Luque (Grant 66mins), Kandi, House. Subs not used: Eleftheriou, Seaden.

Attendance: 1,015.