A brillant hat-trick from Accrington Stanley midfielder Ged Brannan and further goals from Ian Craney and Paul Mullin humiliated Dagenham as five-star Accrington turned on the style.
The turning point of the game, however, was the controversial sending off of Daggers' keeper Tony Roberts after 67 minutes.
Roberts raised his hand to Stanley's Rory Prendergast, making what appeared to be the sliightest of contacts. Prendergast, however, reacted as if he had been floored by a heavyweight boxer.
Stanley are better then resorting to theatrics as their football was breathtaking at times. They went one up just before half time when defender Shane Blackett handled in the box. The penalty was clinically dispatched by Brannan.
Dagenham emerged for the second half in determined mood and almost equalised when an in-swinging corner by Glen Southam flew over the bar. But Dagenham lacked penetration and were constantly on the back foot.
They fell further behind on 63 minutes when Craney's shot was deflected past Tony Roberts.
Substitute keeper Nigerian international Abiodun Baruwa's first action of the afternoon was to pick the ball out of the net from a second Brannan spot kick for Stanley's third after Roberts' dismissal.
A minute later Mullin's shot was saved by Baruwa, but the rebound fell kindly to the Stanley hit man. In injury time Brannan buried the ball for his third and Accrington's fifth.
Dagenham's third consecutive defeat means worrying times for manager John Still.