The visitors picked up only their second away win of the season, and their first clean sheet on the road in the current campaign as they netted twice in the last eight minutes. Colchester-loanee Medy Elito first converting a low Kayleden Brown cross on 82 minutes before just short of time Danny Green finished well from another Brown ball in to seal the shock victory for the Daggers in front of 109 travelling fans.
Carlisle did start the game well though and had the opening chance of the game on the break after only two minutes when Gary Madine played in Ben Marshall for a close range half-volley that was sell saved by veteran goalkeeper Tony Roberts, with Francois Zoko then wastefully lashing the rebound way over the top. The visitors then responding with a long range Danny Green free-kick that Adam Collin was able to easily watch fly over his own crossbar.
With 22 minutes on the clock Dagenham then went close to taking the lead when Tom Cruise made a hash of clearing a Brown cross as Elito then sent a shot from the loose ball over the top from the middle of the United penalty area. Collin then making an easy stop from a deflected strike by the busy Elito before Marshall then made a good run forward for the Blues only to send a poor effort on his weaker left foot wide of the target.
Lubomir Michalik then shot wide for the Cumbrians from extremely long range before Carlisle were denied a soft penalty shout by referee Carl Boyeson after Tom Taiwo had gone down in the visitors box under a challenge from Femi Ilefanmi. The tricky Elito was once more causing problems in the 34th minute as he got another ball in from the right but Romain Vincelot could only fire it into the side-netting at the United far-post.
Shortly afterwards and Madine headed softly into the arms of Roberts from a James Berrett corner. The last action of a relatively cagey opening period coming in injury time when Elito became the first player to go into the referee's notebook when he brought down Zoko on the left, Cruise then wasting the dead-ball situation as he whipped a cross in way too far and out for a Dagenham goal-kick.
Abu Ogogo then inadvertently went close to giving the Cumbrians the lead after 51 minutes when, from a low cross in by the dangerous Marshall, he sliced his attempted clearance over the top of his own crossbar. Carlisle though then getting themselves in their own defensive muddle when Taiwo and Collin left a loose ball for each other and Bas Savage managed to sneak in a long leg and toe-poke a shot inches wide of the target.
Marshall, who looked like the only United player probable to score on the day, then turning well just inside the Daggers box before smacking in a left-footed drive which Roberts just about managed to smuggle behind for a corner. Savage, holding the ball up well for the visitors throughout, then testing Collin with a 20-yard effort, before up at the other end Marshall then shot poorly wide from the middle of the box following a low cross in from the left by Madine.
Ogogo was then yellow carded for deliberate handball before the Blues made the first substitution of the match just after the midway point in the half when Mike Grella came on for Taiwo. Most of the action now coming the way of the officiating crew as Green was booked for a foul on the rampaging Marshall, and then for Carlisle right-back Frank Simek went into the book for what looked like quite a soft challenge on Daggers midfielder Vincelot.
Matty Robson then replaced Zoko for United after a spell of pressure from the visitors brought about by the long throw-ins of Green, then Brown was the next Daggers player yellow carded as Marshall was brought down once more. The Blues going as close as they would do all afternoon to finding the net moments later when Madine headed down a long James Chester pass up and Robson volleyed across goal from the edge of the box, but narrowly wide of the target.
And the Cumbrians were punished for that miss in the 82nd minute too when Brown got away down the right and put in a low ball that was slotted home well by the left foot of Elito from close range at Collin's near-post. The Daggers, under little pressure late on, then making it 2-0 after 89 minutes when Michalik laboured, Brown once more crossed in, Elito dummied, and Green shot perfectly into the top corner of the Carlisle net from 15 yards out to end proceedings.