JANUARY'S manager of the month John Coleman felt Rob Elliot was just doing his job.

Some would argue that the on-loan goalkeeper had gone above and beyond the call of duty to keep Accrington Stanley's promotion push on track.

The Charlton Athletic stopper, who has been loaned to the Reds only until the end of the season, made a string of incredible saves after Romuald Boco gave Stanley the lead eight minutes into the second half. One, at least, he had absolutely no right to get to.

There were other impressive performances. Boco himself, and defenders Leam Richardson and Andy Tretton to name a few.

But Elliot's second-half stops made him stand out as the leading contender for man of the match as he helped to preserve an important clean sheet in the absence of his attack-minded team-mates' shooting boots.

Stanley soon got the upper hand in the first half the perfect response after the disappointment of crashing out of the FA Trophy as favourites just a few days before.

Andy Todd looked particularly lively on the right flank and was unlucky not to nod Stanley in front as early as the fifth minute after exchanging passes with full back Phil Edwards. And just a minute later he had a shot saved from Paul Mullin's throughball, Mullin's follow-up was headed away then Ian Craney had his effort charged down by Sam Saunders in a frantic spell.

There was no let-up for Dagenham as Boco and Mullin combined, with the finish skimming across the face of goal. Then Todd cut in from the right but screwed his shot wide.

Stanley momentarily let their foot off the gas after failing to clinch an early breakthrough and Dagenham were allowed their first real attempt at goal. But Paul Bruck failed to trouble Elliot with his low, rolling shot from outside the area.

Leam Richardson got Stanley back on the front foot with an angled surge forward before Boco clipped his shot wide of the left hand post from Richardson's square ball.

Richardson turned provider again, with Mullin seeing his powerful header tipped round the post from a high delivery, before the full back combined with Todd down the left only to see the wide man ripple the side netting after beating his marker.

Stanley made a bright start to the second half and Robbie Williams, looking comfortable in an unfamiliar central midfield role. He twice went close to breaking the deadlock first rising well to meet Craney's corner, then working space for himself 25 yards out before fizzing his shot wide of the left hand upright.

Craney also went close after getting the better of Saunders.

But it was Boco whose persistance paid off as he struck his fourth Conference goal of the season to give the Reds a vital breakthrough.

The ball switched from Roberts to Boco to Craney along the edge of the box, then back into Boco, who wriggled away from his markers, squeezed his shot through two central defenders and underneath of goalkeeper Tony Roberts.

Dagenham came out fighting, but they met a tough opponent in Elliot.

His first test was from the lively Chris Moore, but his fingertips denied the striker, who had exploited a gap in the defence.

Swapping David Brown for Todd provided fresh legs at a good time for the Reds, and he was prominent in their attacking moves.

But Dagenham had more in their tank, and Elliot somehow managed to stretch enough to flip Moore's chip away from goal.

The late introduction of Andy Mangan provided the usual mayhem for the visiting defence and with his first two touches he had a shot parried by Roberts from Brown's overhead flick, then he scuffed an attempted volley from Craney's high cross.

But the best was yet to come from Dagenham, and Elliot more than matched their threats.

Richardson did well to deny Cliff Akurang after Elliot parried a low strike then came from nowhere to somehow scramble back and punch Shane Blackett's header out of an open goal.