Dagenham & Redbridge boss Daryl McMahon felt it was really important to beat Barnet at the weekend, ahead of trips to Dorking Wanderers and Chesterfield in the coming week.

Josh Walker hit a hat-trick as Daggers won an 'unbelievable' match 5-4 at Victoria Road, to make it back-to-back National League victories on home turf after success against Altrincham a week earlier.

Romford Recorder: Josh Walker fires a late winner for Dagenham & Redbridge against BarnetJosh Walker fires a late winner for Dagenham & Redbridge against Barnet (Image: (C)TGS Photo tgsphoto.co.uk +44 1376 553468)

And McMahon was keen to focus on the performance of his side, acknowledging there are improvements to be made.

"I think it was really important. When you're winning and you've still got loads to work on that shows a good sign of the group," he told the club website.

"The beautiful thing about football is, we got three points and we've got loads to learn.

"Altrincham last week, I thought we gave them too many chances and 4-1 might look like we've played great and everyone's happy.

"But realistically, it probably wasn't too dissimilar a performance in terms of the chances we give up, they just didn't take them last week.

"We just have to not get carried away with the result. The performance is really important.

"If you perform well regularly, you regularly win. If you don't perform well but rely on individual brilliance, you're never going to be a team that competes at the top of the league.

"We have to up our performance levels, without a doubt, but the character and endeavour, togetherness and quality we've got is there for everyone to see."

Daggers handed a debut to Millwall youngster Besart Topalloj, who has joined on a month-long loan, and McMahon was impressed by his display alongside clubmate and fellow loanee Kamarl Grant.

Romford Recorder: Besart Topalloj impressed on his Dagenham & Redbridge debut against BarnetBesart Topalloj impressed on his Dagenham & Redbridge debut against Barnet (Image: (C)TGS Photo tgsphoto.co.uk +44 1376 553468)

"I thought he did really well, he was excellent on the ball," added McMahon.

"What you get when you take players out of academies, nowadays especially, is you know they're going to be good footballers.

"Both of them brought the ball out from the back really well, that's always been a trademark of us being here, how we've defended, stepping out with the ball, and I thought both of them did that really well.

"We've got two young players in our back three, that are coming on loan, not played first-team football before and they're exciting on the ball, sometimes they're a little bit naive.

"I think both of them have got big, big futures ahead of them. They need to learn quickly and adapt quickly, not make mistakes and switch on all the time, but those two lads are going to develop with us here."

Junior Morias missed out after failing a fitness test, but McMahon hopes to have the striker available on Saturday, having recalled Aaron Blair from his loan spell at Braintree, with Elliott Johnson, Josh Hare and Yoan Zouma also set to return to training this week.