Paul Benson stole the show with four goals as Dagenham hammered Shrewsbury 5-0.

Five-star Dag & Red move top of table as Benson hits four

Paul Benson stole the show with four goals as Dagenham hammered Shrewsbury 5-0. Benson, who turned down a move to Shrewsbury in the summer, headed home Peter Gain's cross to put Dagenham in front after 20 minutes and doubled their lead five minutes later when he converted Josh Scott's shot. Full-back Scott Griffiths' cracking effort from the edge of the box made it 3-0 with 36 minutes gone and three minutes later Benson completed his hat-trick with another header. It could have been five before the break, but Scott saw his fierce low drive turned round the post by Chris Neal. Shrewsbury threatened sporadically in the first half, with Jake Robinson forcing a stunning save from Tony Roberts, while the keeper blocked from Kelvin Langmead after the break. The Daggers took their foot off the gas in the second period, but Benson grabbed his fourth of the evening and Dagenham's fifth when he headed another cross from Gain past Neal. That allowed Shrewsbury to finally enjoy a spell of pressure and Andre Gray came closest to a consolation, but scuffed his shot from close range past the post.