Christian Assombalonga scored twice to secure Waltham Abbey’s survival in Ryman Division North in what looks like being his last appearance for the club.

The striker, whose brother Britt is a professional with Nottingham Forest, has been linked with a move to Dagenham and Redbridge next season as the Daggers look to reclaim their place back in the Football League at the first time of asking.

But Assombalonga did not let the speculation about his future get in the way of the present as his double saw off bottom club Redbridge 2-0 on Saturday to ensure that Abbey did not suffer the same relegation fate as their visitors.

The 25-year-old hitman scored his 30th and 31st goals of the season to ensure Abbey did their bit in the survival battle. But, even then, the club still faced an anxious wait for results from elsewhere before they could celebrate staying up.

Wroxham began the day a point ahead and a win for them would have sent Assombalonga and company down. But the Norfolk side could only draw 0-0 against Romford despite having a second-half penalty saved. If that had gone in, Wroxham would have stayed up and Abbey would have gone down.

Waltham Abbey, for their part, began nervously but once Assombalonga’s clinical low shot put them ahead early on in the second half they never looked back. That calmed their increasing nerves and Assombalonga then made the game safe when he stabbed home from close range to double their lead. They might have had others as well but the woodwork came to Redbridge’s rescue.

Abbey boss Paul Joynes said: “We had done our job and then we had about a minute’s wait on the pitch which was quite anxious before somebody on the terraces got a phone call and then the celebrations really began. It was a massive relief.”

Joynes’ side had looked doomed 19 games ago when they were stuck on 11 points. But a run of ten wins and nine defeats, with not a draw in sight, saw them pull clear.

And Assombalonga’s goals have been a massive part of their revival.

His free-scoring, with 31 goals coming in just 34 games, helped to gradually pull them clear of the danger zone and also brought him to the attention of scouts from Football League clubs Millwall, Peterborough United and Stevenage who were regular visitors.

But it appears that Dagenham – who lost their Football League place after nine years two weeks ago – appear to be in the box seat to sign the forward and Joynes is resigned to losing his goal grabber next season.

Joynes said: “He’s going to be very difficult for us to replace. He’s powerful, pacy, he gets into good positions and he can finish and I think with full-time training his game will improve even more. He’s an intelligent player, he’s keen to learn, he has got the desire and he has got all the attributes to go higher.”

At 25 he is something of a latecomer to the game but his boss is confident he can make an impact higher up the ladder and says the club would never stand in his way.

But he is happy the club will not become embroiled in another relegation battle next year. He says they have other players who are attracting the interest of Football League clubs and says he is targeting a mid-table finish and progression next season.