Danny Whitehall’s early penalty helped Eastleigh leapfrog Dagenham to ninth in the Vanarama National League after a 1-0 win at the Chigwell Construction Stadium.

Whitehall provided the cross that led to Kairo Mitchell being brought down in the area and then stepped up to take the resulting sixth-minute spot-kick, hammering home off the underside of the bar.

Inih Effiong spurned a gilt-edged chance to level midway through the first half, missing the target with the goal gaping, before the Spitfires were awarded a second penalty when Emmanuel Onarise handled in the box.

Mitchell stepped up this time and saw his 38th-minute effort saved. It might have proved a costly miss but a combination of poor Dagenham finishing and stout defending helped Eastleigh go level on points with seventh-placed Boreham Wood.