Dagenham & Redbridge boss Ben Strevens is looking for a notable boost in the FA Cup this weekend.

Daggers head to Southern League Premier Central side Leiston for a fourth qualifying round tie on Saturday on the back of their 'worst' performance of the season.

Strevens saw his side drop to 13th in the National League after a 1-0 defeat at Yeovil Town last weekend, succumbing to a 55th-minute header from Ciaran McGuckin.

And he says his side have to be ready for the challenge of Leiston, who knocked out former boss Daryl McMahon's National League South side Hornchurch in a replay in the last round.

"Full focus on that FA Cup game now. Normally you want another game to come round quickly, you want another league game tomorrow because that's how I feel about that game today," Strevens told the club website.

"We'll get ready for the FA Cup game, prepare properly for it, get footage of their last round against Hornchurch, a couple of their league games, prepare like we would any other National League game.

"We've got to be ready for the challenge. It's a special competition, I was bitterly disappointed we went out so early [last year] so we've got to look to bounce back and play better.

"We have to. That's the demands of us as people, them individually, us collectively, we have to play better than that."

Captain Elliot Justham kept Daggers on level terms in the first half at Huish Park, with comfortable saves from Jordan Young and McGuckin sandwiching a superb point-blank stop to keep out Frank Nouble's header.

Opposite number Ollie Wright was largely untested at the other end, before McGuckin's downward header broke the deadlock.

Brett McGavin went close to doubling the home side's lead but one goal proved enough for the Glovers to take the points. And Strevens admitted they deserved them.

"We didn't deserve to win the game, we didn't deserve anything from the game," he added.

"They was much better than us in every department. Partly that's because they played well themselves but that was the worst we've played this season.

"There wasn't a facet of the play that I could say that was good.

"Going in nil-nil at half-time, we tried talking to them really calmly because there wasn't anything to be gained from telling them how bad the first half was.

"We wanted to try and make sure the second half improved. We did without really improving too much. We didn't deserve anything from the game."

Romoney Crichlow made his debut after joining on loan from Peterborough United, while Jake Hessenthaler and Ryan Hill made their first league starts since injury.

And Oscar Rutherford impressed at right-back, but there were few positives to take from the day.

"We have to play better in every bit," said Strevens.

"You can have a collective real bad day, we've lost games of football over the course of the season, but there's been lots of things within the game we've done quite well. Today we didn't do anything well.

"I have to be honest. I never talk out of turn, I've got a lot of love for all the boys in there and there's nothing I wouldn't say now I wouldn't say to their faces. We have to be better than that."