Ebbsfleet’s winless National League run reached 16 games after they lost to Dagenham at a sodden Stonebridge Road on New Year’s Day.

After a goalless first half, two goals in 10 second-half minutes sealed the Fleet’s fate and left them 14 points adrift of safety.

Ebbsfleet boss Josh Wright made four changes from the side that lost 4-0 at Southend on Boxing Day with Rakish Bingham, Franklin Domi, Jez Davies and Mustapha Olagunju back in the starting line-up.

Birthday boy Olagunju returned to defence for his first start since the end of September against Oldham, having completed a month-long loan at Hemel Hempstead. He produced a positive performance despite the scoreline.

Managerless Dagenham lost 4-2 to Braintree on Boxing Day, a result which saw boss Ben Strevens sacked, with assistant manager Lewis Young in caretaker charge. Among their starters was former Fleet favourite Christian N’Guessan.

The wind and rain meant it was never going to be easy for either side but Dagenham settled quickest, Josh Rees touching Ryan Hil’s seventh-minute cross into the path of Dylan Stephenson who was unable to get his shot away.

Rees then did well to play Hill through on goal, the midfielder timing his run perfectly, but Ebbsfleet keeper Mark Cousins produced an excellent save to divert the ball away for a corner.

Stephenson connected with Trent Rendall’s 19th-minute cross at the near post but lacked power on his header to seriously trouble Cousins.

Todd Kane, playing at left-back, did well to recover after a wayward defensive header just before the half-hour, getting back to clear Stephenson’s pull back as Dagenham again looked to threaten.

Rees was booked by referee Kirsty Dowle for a foul on Toby Edser. Then, Dagenham’s Rendall escaped with just a yellow card for a wayward lunge at Kane nine minutes before half-time.

Ebbsfleet got into decent positions on a couple of occasions but were unable to call Dagenham keeper Elliot Justham into serious action.

Within two minutes of the second half, Dominic Poleon was sent clear down the left but Bingham’s connection to his cross lacked power and went narrowly wide of the far post.

The breakthrough arrived on 55 minutes when Shiloh Remy had time and space to curl home a left-foot shot from 20 yards beyond the reach of Cousins.

Ebbsfleet responded positively with Aaron Cosgrave and Bingham both having shots blocked before Tyler Cordner played in Cosgrave, who was crowded out inside the penalty area.

It was 2-0 on 65 minutes when a generous free-kick saw O’Neill penalised and Jake Hessenthaler’s deflected 25-yard strike left Cousins wrong-footed.

After Cordner did well to play in Kane with 15 minutes left, substitute Jephte Tanga’s shot was well blocked by Paul Kalambayi in the Dagenham defence.

The pair combined again three minutes later as Kane crossed for Tanga but his shot lacked power and was cleared at the near post.

It was not until a minute into stoppage time that Justham was called into action, saving low down at the near post from substitute Alex Aoraha.

Ebbsfleet: Cousins, O’Neill (Aoraha 69mins), Olagunju, Cordner, Kane, Davies (Manktelow 62mins), Edser, Domi, Bingham (Thomas 69mins), Poleon, Cosgrave (Tanga 62mins). Subs not used: Firth, Chapman, Tanner.

Dagenham: Justham, Hessenthaler, Phipps, Rees (Vigrass 84mins), Hill (Adigun 87mins), N’Guessan (Harrack 72mins), Remy (Rutherford 80mins), Rendall, Stephenson, Ling, Kalambayi (Bakre 72mins). Subs not used: Harvey.

Referee: Kirsty Dowle.

Attendance: 1,395 (245 away).