After two consecutive defeats, both at the hands of Aldershot, the Daggers had to get their season back on track with this tricky tie against fourth-placed Shrewsbury who were looking for their fourth win on the trot.
But raise the bar and the Daggers raise their game, as in the opening exchanges Garry Hill's men put together some neat passes with Shrewsbury hardly getting a look in.
On-loan QPR man Richard Pacquette almost opened his Daggers account when Paul Bruce slipped the ball in for him but his powerful shot was well held by Scott Howie.
Chris Moore was the next to test Howie when he attempted an audacious lob from 20 yards out but although he managed to beat the keeper his effort fell wide.
He made sure he did not make the same mistake minutes later when a Pacquette throughball fell for him as he burst between two defenders and coolly slotted home for his fourth goal in four starts.
Two minutes later Darren Moss made the mistake of bringing down Bruce in the box and Chris Piper stepped up to score from the spot.
The ball was in the back of the net again minutes later when Tarkan Mustafa's square ball was hammered home by Pacquette who came flying into the box to connect.
The second half began with Pacquette firing just wide as the Daggers continued to dominate and them Moore continued to endear himself to the Daggers faithful by netting a cracker on 70 minutes.
He let rip from the edge of the box to the put the game well and truly out of reach of the visitors.
It was 5-0 three minutes later when Lee Goodwin raced in from the far post and banged home Jimmy Jackson's corner to cap a display of exhibition football which brought some much needed post-Christmas cheer to Victoria Road.