Hitting the play-off hopes of one of their local rivals has earned one of the north Essex sides the Bank Holiday Bostik League performance of the day honour.

The Easter weekend was signed off with plenty of local derby action and it was Witham Town who probably had the most to cheer.

Witham, who started the day sat 18th and were only outside the division north relegation places on goal difference, faced a daunting task of halting second-placed Maldon & Tiptree at Spa Road.

The Jammers were looking to cement their place in the table to ensure a home semi-final in the end-of-season play-offs and must have fancied their chances against a Witham side that had lost its previous five games.

That run had left Witham perilously perched above the drop zone, but holding Maldon to a 1-1 draw has kept their survival chances in their own hands heading into the final game of the season.

A Johnny Ashman strike in the 27th minute gave Witham hope that a three-point haul could be theirs and although that was denied by an equaliser from Eddie Louis-Dsane on 65 minutes, it was still a precious point for Witham.

It was a display that earned them the top performance award and the point they claimed kept Witham out of the bottom two after relegation rivals Romford were pegged back by a last-gasp goal at Grays Athletic.

Maldon, meanwhile, were left to reflect on a blow to their play-off hopes, however, that is not something that is apparently concerning Coggeshall Town.

The Seedgrowers have hit some great late-season form and moved up to third with a 3-2 win at another side who will be contesting the play-offs, Heybridge Swifts.

Swifts had beaten newly-crowned champions Bowers & Pitsea on Saturday but dropped to fifth after their defeat by Coggeshall at Scraley Road.

The visitors took the early initiative with a fifth-minute strike from Nnamdi Nwachuku and although Matt Price levelled for Swifts eight minutes later, goals from George Allen and Ross Wall on 23 and 26 minutes put Coggeshall in command.

Daniel Walker did make it tight with a second goal for Heybridge just before half-time, but no further scoring after the break suited Coggeshall just fine.

In the premier division, Brightlingsea Regent tried to stage a late comeback, but were unable to overhaul a three-goal lead for hosts Bishop's Stortford.

Veteran striker Jamie Cureton was celebrating his 1,000th appearance of an incredible career and the 43-year-old former Colchester United and Norwich City hitman, who is now player/manager for Stortford, marked his special day with an early brace of goals.

Cureton scored on 14 and 17 minutes to put Stortford 2-0 ahead, while Luke Callander extended the lead on 72 minutes and although Aaron Condon scored four minutes later for Regent and Josh Gould struck in the 90th, there was too much for the R's to pull back.