NOT for the first time it was a case of Kee by name and key by nature for Accrington Stanley as the Reds saw off Dagenham and Redbridge at Victoria Road.

Striker Billy Kee scored the only goal of the game late in the day as the promotion-chasing Reds saw off the dogged Daggers to cut the gap to the top three in League Two to just a point.

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John Coleman’s side arrived with one enforced change as Brad Halliday replaced the injured Adam Buxton and looking to make their midweek point with Wycombe an invaluable one by taking all three against their struggling hosts.

Dagenham are rooted to the foot of the Football League but didn’t look like a side staring relegation in the face as they matched their opponents for long spells.

Stanley had the best of the early chances, with Scott Brown’s shot from the edge of the area superbly turned over the bar by Daggers’ keeper Liam O’Brien.

But far from it being one-way traffic John Still’s team were asking plenty of questions of their own, with defender Dominic Hyam heading at keeper Ross Etheridge before the same player hooked an improvised shot wide.

As half time drew closer both sides went closer, with Sean McConville the width of the woodwork from giving Stanley the lead. He headed a Brad Halliday cross at the far post only for the ball to hit the upright, hit O’Brien and nestle in the grateful goalkeeper’s arms.

It was the hosts who should have led at the break though, with veteran striker Jamie Cureton wasteful in front of goal. He was played in by Matty Cash but with the goal at his mercy stabbed his shot over Etheridge’s bar and into the crowd.

With the deadlock still in place Stanley set about trying to assert themselves after the break and began to take control. McConville shot over within minutes of the restart before Kee span his man in the box and guided an effort narrowly wide.

Brown then smashed a half volley wide after a poor defensive clearance before defensive disarray almost gave the Reds the opener.

Shay McCartan charged down a clearance and though O’Brien beat him to the ball the goalkeeper’s ball upfield went straight to Kee. From the centre circle the striker hit a long-range shot which unfortunately for him hit Hyam on the edge of the box.

Dagenham’s day was summed up by striker Christian Doidge, whose shimmy and run to beat the Stanley defence was superb but his finish was shocking.

As time wore on the frustrations grew for the visitors, with the spectre of two more dropped points looming large but Kee had other ideas as the former Northern Ireland Under-21 international scored already had 15 goals for the season and added his 16th goal of the season seven minutes from time.

He broke away on halfway, jinked beyond a challenge on the edge of the D and exchanged passes with McCartan inside the box. Even when he miscued his first effort he wasn’t to be put off, finding the right corner with a left-foot effort to make a decisive breakthrough.

Now Coleman’s men had their goal it was a case of keeping their clean sheet intact and the introduction of experienced pair Andy Procter and Rommy Boco helped them to control the game and run the clock down.

Ultimately a misfiring striker at one end and a bang in form forward at the other proved to be the difference as the Reds continued to breathe down the necks of the automatic promotion chasers.