GARETH Ainsworth said his players have to be more clinical in front of goal with teams now coming to Adams Park to defend against his high-flying side.

Wanderers were punished for their first half profligacy against Dagenham and Redbridge this afternoon as they were hit by a sucker punch from veteran striker Jamie Cureton.

Peter Murphy’s late equaliser ensured a share of the spoils, but Ainsworth said opposing League Two teams will come to Adams Park set up to defend following Wanderers’ good start to the season.

Prior to today’s 1-1 draw Ainsworth’s side were top, but Luton’s late win over Northampton saw the Hatters usurp Blues at the summit.

Ainsworth declared himself content with the point to ensure Wanderers didn’t lose back-to-back matches, but said his side have to make the most of their goalscoring chances when they come along - particularly so against stubborn opposition like Dagenham.

The Blues boss said: “Being top of the table, people are going to come here and grit their teeth, sit in and try to get a draw. The way they were slowing the game down in the first half I think they had come for a draw, and that’s what they ultimately got.

“Second half Dagenham came out and looked like they had had a kick up the backside and responded for 10-15 minutes. Last half hour we took the game to them again – there was only one team going to score and we did that. Give them another five or ten minutes we would win.

“I don’t know what the shot count was but we maybe could have tripled Dagenham’s attempts on goal, but the only stat that counts is the one that hits the net and it was one each. You can have all the chances in the world but you have to stick them in.”

He added however: “People are saying, is that two points dropped? I don’t think it is, I think it’s a point towards our total.

“The important thing was not to follow a loss with a loss, and we haven’t done that.

“I was really pleased with the first half performance – there were a lot of chances created. When you’re on top like that, you have to make them count.

“I really thought on points we would have won that in a boxing match, but unfortunately it’s goals that count and it’s 1-1.”

Cureton’s goal meant the 39-year-old has scored against Wanderers in each of the last three seasons – for three different teams – and Ainsworth said ruefully: “My old team mate, he always seems to score against us and he’s popped up again. He’s a poacher.

“There was a little bit of indiscipline [in Wanderers’ defending] just before that. If we took our chances in the first half, that doesn’t hurt as much as it did. Dagenham had a couple of breakaways and, give them credit, they had some pace and some intelligence up front.”