HEYBRIDGE SWIFTS and MALDON & TIPTREE both warmed up for Easter Monday’s derby at Park Drive with Ryman League division north wins.

Swifts will travel to their rivals buoyed by a 2-1 home win against Bury Town, while the Jammers prepared with a 2-0 victory at relegation strugglers Wroxham.

Maldon’s goals both came in the first-half of their game in Norfolk, the first from former Colchester United youth team captain Billy Roast after 16 minutes and Rhys Henry adding a second on 39 minutes.

Meanwhile, Heybridge, on the back of earning a place in the Essex Senior Cup final in midweek, gave themselves a boost in their hopes to avoid relegation.

Swifts had taken the lead in the 31st minute at Scraley Road, before Bury’s Connor Hall equalised just before the break, but the hosts hit back again in the second half.

In front of a crowd of 132, Jody Brown’s team gave the home fans something else to cheer about as Philip Anderson’s 68th-minute strike proved to be the winner.

It was a crucial goal as the relegation fight was intensified by Waltham Abbey’s 2-0 win at leaders AFC Sudbury and Heybridge’s win kept them three points above the bottom three.

Wroxham’s defeat by Maldon was a bonus for sides looking to avoid relegation, but a side not faring so well on the day in the battle to beat the drop was WITHAM TOWN.

They were defeated for the first time under caretaker manager Adam Flint as they lost 1-0 at Cray Wanderers and fell a place to 19th in the table – just four points above the bottom three.

They will hope to bounce back when they host AFC Hornchurch on Monday afternoon.

But while the battle is fierce at the foot of division north, it is proving just as tense towards the top end and BRIGHTLINGSEA REGENT showed they haven’t given up hopes of a play-off finish this year.

Having only managed draws in their previous two games, James Webster’s side pulled themselves back up level with the play-off places with a 1-0 win at Tilbury.

Ricky Griggs’ lone strike in the 59th minute was enough to pull Regent back level on points with fifth-placed AFC Hornchurch.

Brightlingsea now face a home game against Wroxham on Easter Monday.