VETERAN striker Mark Stein gave a masterclass of forward play as Dagenham and Redbridge destroyed Scarborough.

The 35-year-old, who joined the Nationwide Conference leaders from Luton in the summer, scored a hat-trick and the Daggers roared to a 4-2 victory which keeps them two points ahead of Boston at the top.

He scored three goals, all of which were simplicity itself, to take his tally for the season to nine and his presence will make his side a real force in the Conference this season.

It is a well-worn clich in football that a team is always at its most vulnerable when it has scored a goal. Scarborough's new Director of Football, Ian Kerr found out at Dagenham that his team is at it's most vulnerable when it takes the lead.

In six games this season, Scarborough have been in that position - and yet have still only won one game.

This latest defeat leaves only Stalybridge below Boro in the table - and that's only on goal difference.

"We gave away bad goals with poor defending, but the goal we conceded on the stroke of half time, just when we had taken the lead, gave them the lift going into the break instead of us," said Kerr.

"I was pleased with some of our movement though and Adam Jewell impressed when he came on as a substitute."

Jewell had replaced Gareth Stoker, who had scored his first goal of the season from a Paul Atkinson cross to give Scarborough the lead, only for Stein to score his second goal less than a minute later.

Stein's first effort after 21 minutes came when Shaun Rennison misjudged a long ball. Rennison and Dagenham's Mark Janney were sent off ten minutes from time following a bout of heavy pushing and both could feel a little aggrieved as, in a bad tempered affair, there were several incidents earlier in the game which only produced yellow cards.

Scarborough's first equaliser came from another surge forward and pinpoint cross, this time from Denny Ingram, who gave Darryn Stamp the chance to score a well-worked goal.

The second half belonged to the home side, although their third goal showed that when you are at the wrong end of the table, things can and usually do go against you.

Romain Faure did well to clear a dangerous cross off the line, only for the ball to hit Tony Lock and rebound into the net.

Stein's header wrapped things up, although Steve Brodie had a couple of efforts pass just the wrong side of the post.

Dagenham and Redbridge: Roberts, Heffer, Vickers, Smith, Broom, Janney, Hill (Brennan 84), Terry (McGavin 84), Jones; Lock (Hayzelden 90), Stein

Scarborough: Woods, Atkinson (Swales 89), Faure, Wilford, Rennison, Keegan (Fitzsimmons HT), Blunt, Stoker (Jewell 68), Ingram, Stamp, Brodie.

Referee: M Postles (Sussex)

Attendance: 1,482

Updated: 11:51 Monday, October 01, 2001