Enterprise National League South | Victoria Road, Dagenham | Monday 6 April 2026

Easter Monday produced a feast of non-league football at Victoria Road as Dagenham & Redbridge and Chelmsford City served up a breathless 3–3 draw in their Enterprise National League South clash — a result that will feel like a missed opportunity for both sides with the season entering its final straight.

The Daggers, under the stewardship of interim manager Andy Carroll, came into the Bank Holiday fixture having endured a difficult run, including a 3–0 defeat to local rivals Hornchurch on Good Friday. Against a Chelmsford side that had bounced back from their own disappointments with a 3–0 win over Enfield Town on the same day, a fiercely contested Essex derby was always on the cards.

Heading into the match, Dagenham sat 12th in the National League South table with 62 points from 42 games, while the Clarets occupied 10th spot, level on 67 points but with a game in hand. With Chelmsford pushing for a play-off place and sitting just one position above their hosts, the stakes could hardly have been higher.

The game delivered from the first whistle. Goals flew in at both ends as neither defence could establish control, with the visitors twice finding themselves level before the drama continued deep into the second half. Chelmsford — who had recorded a similarly dramatic reverse at the Dunmow Group Community Stadium back in December — will know they could have stolen all three points, while the Daggers showed commendable spirit to keep themselves in contention throughout.

When the two sides met at Chelmsford in late December, it was Dagenham who ran out emphatic 4–1 winners, so the Clarets will have arrived at Victoria Road with a point to prove — and they very nearly left with all three.

The 3–3 scoreline extends a run of high-scoring encounters between these two Essex clubs, continuing what has become one of the most entertaining rivalries in the sixth tier of English football. For the Daggers, a point at home does little to ease the pressure on Carroll's men as they look to stabilise. For Chelmsford, a draw away from home in a difficult fixture keeps their play-off ambitions alive, though they will feel the dropped points keenly.

With just four games remaining in the regular season, both clubs now face a defining final month. Chelmsford head home to face Maidenhead United next, while Dagenham have a run of fixtures that could yet determine whether they finish the campaign with a flourish or a fade.

In a division where every point matters and nothing is ever certain, this Easter Monday classic served as a timely reminder of why the National League South remains one of the most compelling watches in non-league football.

Full-time: Dagenham & Redbridge 3–3 Chelmsford City Enterprise National League South | Match week 42