BURY’S dreams of promotion are being put at risk by the weight of expectations at the club, warned manager David Flitcroft after watching his side slump to their fourth straight defeat.

Dagenham and Redbridge showed a ruthless eye for goal that has been sadly lacking from Bury’s play in recent weeks as second-half efforts from substitute Alex Jakubiak and experienced striker Jamie Cureton handed them a shock victory.

Their goals came against the run of play, as Bury twice hit the woodwork and had two goals ruled out for offside.

But despite dominating much of the play and possession, Flitcroft admits his side did not show enough quality in the final third, something he put down to the pressure building on his players.

“We have got a real ambition to get promoted this season. Everyone believes that we will and we have got to carry that forward and make sure that we keep that dream alive,” he said.

“But certainly the players at the minute are just struggling to cope with that.

“The pressure is being created by expectation and people are snatching at things.”

Flitcroft made five changes to the side that went down 3-1 at home to Newport last week, with captain Jim McNulty losing his place in the starting line-up and on-loan goalkeeper Scott Loach sent back to Rotherham United.

Centre-back Adam El-Abd and utility player Rob Milsom made their debuts in defence after joining on loan on Wednesday, while Craig Jones returned earlier than expected from a hernia operation to form a new-look four-man back four.

Bury looked solid, for the most part, but while they prodded and probed a Dagenham side that started the day 21st in League Two, they lacked the clinical edge that the visitors demonstrated later in the game.

“That one moment that comes natural to you as a striker or a winger, people are snatching at it and starting to become tense,” added Flitcroft.

“I think everyone is feeling it. You sense (fans in) the stadium are feeling it. And certainly the players are feeling it.

“We are creating enough chances, but they have been in our box twice and scored.”

Danny Rose had the ball in the net in the 34th minute, gambling to make a run at the back post before steering in Nicky Adams’ deflected cross-shot, only to be flagged for offside.

Rose also tested Dagenham and Redbridge stopper Mark Cousins with a few low shots that he did well to gather.

Cousins then bravely dived at the feet of Adams to block his shot after Milsom sent a testing cross into the box from the left.

Bury started the second half just as brightly, Nardiello nodding the ball against the bar after Jones had headed a deep Adams free kick into the danger area.

Jones glanced a header wide from another pinpoint Adams set-piece before, on 54 minutes, Jakubiak pounced on a knockdown from a Dagenham free kick to send a shockwave around the JD Stadium.

Bury had the ball in the net a few minutes later but Nardiello’s close-range effort was disallowed after Adams, who found the Shakers striker with a pull-back, was flagged offside.

Danny Mayor was then booked after going down in the box.

The home support vented their frustrations at Flitcroft when he substituted Bury’s most threatening player, Rose, to a barrage of boos and chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing”.

The mood inside the JD Stadium darkened further when first Jones was forced to clear an Ashley Chambers shot off the line and then Cureton seized on indecision in the Bury box to fire a dagger to the hearts of the disillusioned faithful.

Nathan Cameron headed against the foot of the post in stoppage time as Bury fought hard to find a way back into the game, but they remained goalless at the final whistle.

Their second successive home defeat saw the Shakers drop to eighth, outside the League Two promotion places for the first time since beating Plymouth on August 23.

Flitcroft, however, remains confident that hard graft on the training pitch will help stop the rot.

“We are in transition in terms of the players we have just brought in and sent out,” he added.

“I have got to get a synergy into this team.

“We have got two new players in it and I have got Hallam Hope to come back in.

“I have got to try and get a squad of players again who are all as one, all believing and we will get that momentum back.

“I am absolutely crystal clear that we will do that and it will come over the next couple of weeks with the work we have got planned (on the training field).”

BURY: Lainton 6; Jones 8, El-Abd 6, Cameron 6, Milsom 7; Adams 6, Etuhu 6 (Tutte 6 61), Soares 6, Mayor 5; Rose 7 (Lowe 6 61), Nardiello 6.

Not used: Jalal, McNulty, K O'Brien, Burgess, Dudley.

DAGENHAM AND REDBRIDGE: Cousins; Doe, Obileye, Saah; Batt, Bingham, Hemmings; Labadie; Chambers, Cureton (Agyemang 81), Yusuff (Jakubiak 46).

Not used: L O'Brien, Murphy, Porter, Partridge, Boucaud.

Goals: Bury 0 Dagenham and Redbridge 2 (Jakubiak 55, Cureton 74).

Yellow cards: Bury – Soares 54, Mayor 60. Dagenham and Redbridge – Hemmings 50, Batt 90.

Referee: Andrew Madley.

Attendance: 3,042 (88 visiting).

Star man: Craig Jones – Danny Rose won the award in the stadium and the announcement was roundly greeted with ironic cheers from the home support following David Flitcroft’s decision to substitute the young striker midway through the second half. There could be little argument that Rose had looked most likely to score, but while he sat out the final half hour, Jones kept on going. There looked to be no sign of the hernia and hamstring problems that had sidelined the vice captain for much of November as he bombed up and down the right flank from the full-back position. He was also a presence in the box, helping to tee up Danny Nardiello to head against the bar before going close with a header and a late shot.