LEIGH RMI's three season roller-coaster ride in the Conference could be heading for an unhappy ending.

The Railwaymen have just four remaining games to grab a lifeline to stop them being shunted back into the Unibond Premier Division.

Time is fast running out but unless they stop making basic defensive errors then there is no way back. Dagenham striker Steve West gratefully grabbed Leigh's latest offerings to notch a hat-trick and take his personal tally to 15 in the league this season.

For the second successive game, RMI struck first only to buckle and let in three goals, further undermining their confidence. The defeat increases the pressure on Saturday's encounter with fellow strugglers Gravesend, a game Leigh must win if they are to keep their survival hopes alive.

In contrast Dagenham are shooting for a play-off spot and their talented line-up always looked the better side.

Brilliant finish

Yet RMI had chances to score and after the disappointing Neil Campbell headed onto the crossbar, went ahead in the 39th minute with a brilliant finish from the ever dangerous Ian Monk, who coolly slotted home after Keith Scott's header had put him in space.

The Daggers always posed the bigger threat but desperate defending kept them at bay until the final minute of the first-half when the tricky Mark Janney's cross found Tim Cole and his shot was palmed out by Stuart Coburn, but only to West, who rammed it home.

It was the worst possible time to let a goal in, and a shaky RMI had a lucky escape three minutes after the break when John McGrath hit the post. Their luck ran out in the 52nd minute when West's header was knocked back into his path by a defender and the big centre-forward rifled it home from the edge of the box.

Their chances of a point disappeared three minutes from time when Tarkan Mustafa's cross found West. His low header was cleared off the line by Martyn Lancaster but the ball went straight back to West and he stabbed it home at the second attempt.

The defeat was bitterly disappointing for Leigh boss Mark Patterson.

"We started well, got the goal and had chances, but we conceded at a bad time. The other two goals were both from poor defending," he said. "Mistakes are starting to come in but I can't do anything about that. These are schoolboy errors and it is up to the players to stop making them.

"When you make mistakes against quality players, they will punish you. We created chances but didn't put them away.

"Saturday's game against Gravesend is now massive and a proper six pointer. We have to win it, there is no two ways about it. We need to win two of our remaining four games. If we can do that then I think we will stay up."