Horsham were made to work hard for this rare FA Trophy success, with the tie not truly settled until a quarter of an hour from the end of a fairly ragged affair between two of the Ryman League's struggling sides. Redbridge, whose only successes this season have come in the cup competitions, recovered well from conceding a sloppy 13th minute goal to enjoy large periods of possession but the contest was as good as over once Steve Davies claimed his second goal of the game and Allan Tait ensured the week would finish on a far happier note than which it had begun by claiming a third on the stroke of full-time.

Despite Redbridge's dismal start to the campaign, one that had left them adrift at the foot of Division One North with a single point, memories of last season's disastrous Trophy tie with Barton Rovers still sat uneasily on the mind but the Hornets were in confident mood having eradicated last Saturday's capitulation at Margate with a 5-1 midweek demolition of Bognor. Unsurprisingly John Maggs made just two changes to the line-up with Jack Page replacing Tom Graves after shaking off an ankle injury and the returning Gareth Williams taking over between the posts enabling Mark Zawadski to rest his troublesome groin.

The game's first effort on goal came, rather fortuitously, from the boot of Ben Andrews whose mighty clearance took one bounce inside the Redbridge area before beating the backpedalling Lee Newcomb and the crossbar. Just a minute later, a corner from Anthony Storey was met by Andrews and the captain's towering header beat Newcomb but not Julian Ashby who headed the ball off the goal-line.

Tony Nwachukwu was becoming the main outlet for Horsham and, when Storey played the ball down the right, the flying winger was well placed to race on to Tom Stephens' underhit back pass but Newcomb spread himself well to save. The goalkeeper's good fortune deserted him, though, in the 13th minute when Adam Hutchings chased down a clearance and, although Nathan Fletcher's pass back had the strength to reach his goalkeeper, Newcomb's kick cannoned off Davies and dropped tamely into the back of the net.

The visitors battled their way back, four minutes later, when Hyun-Jin Lee clipped a ball into the Hornets' box where three Redbridge players stood unmarked but not even the linesman's flag could spare the blushes of Ashby who shot wastefully over the top. But they had a legitimate chance to equalise just after the half hour when Glen Golby's first time pass put Ashby beyond the home defence but his drilled ball across the face of goal was just too far ahead of the stretching Anton Agdomar.

It was a warning sign for Horsham but it might have been quickly forgotten when Storey's ball into the box was only half-cleared and Nwachukwu was on to the loose ball in a flash, only to be denied a shooting chance by an excellent challenge from Stephen. The ball was cleared and, from 30 yards out, Paul Kennett sent a dipping volley just over the crossbar.

But it was the Londoners who finished the half on top with Ashby curling an effort just wide and then volleying a shot past Williams' left hand post from the edge of the box, prompting an angry response from the goalkeeper towards his new team-mates.

H/T Horsham 1 Redbridge 0

The match continued in a similar vein after the interval, with Ellis Skidmore forcing an uncomfortable save out of Williams after just two minutes. Storey should settled the nerves, less than a minute later, when Williams' long clearance was helped on by Tait but the midfielder could only steer Hutchings' cross straight at Newcomb.

The Hornets were struggling to find any real fluency to their game, leaving the contest in the balance, and Sonny Adams and Agdomar both tested Williams from range before the hosts decided to liven things up with the introduction of Gary Charman and Steve Sargent, the former entering referee Knight's notebook for what appeared to be a retaliatory foul on Lee just five minutes after his arrival.

Charman's introduction was clearly hoped to provide a more cutting edge for the hosts but his weak defensive clearance, from a 72nd minute corner, let in Lee but his right-footed shot was too high as it fizzed beyond the angle of post and crossbar. Kennett then produced a crucial block to deny Gillingham, after Williams had been outjumped as he contested a high ball, with the Horsham goal coming under some sustained pressure.

However, a patient build up from the home side soon saw the action switch to the other end and Sargent's pass played Davies into space but the striker shot over the top. But Davies made no mistake when he was given a second chance, shortly after, when Charman collected the ball in midfield and strode purposefully towards the Redbridge 18 yard line before finding Davies who deftly diverted the ball away from Newcomb and inside the far post.

The goal was just what Horsham needed to settle the nerves and, with a little more freedom now, Charman sent a curling shot that produced a comfortable save and Tait raced on to a fine pass from Mitchell only to see his shot cleared off the line after taking the ball around the 'keeper.

Maggs sent on Pat Harding in place of Nwachukwu, with little more than ten minutes remaining, and the forward was given a rude introduction to the game when he was upended by Stephen who collected a yellow card for his sins. Agdomar showed good skill to pluck a lofted pass out of the air and shoot just wide of the target but his was a rare effort by the visitors who now had the familiar look of a beaten side and Charman was only a whisker away from adding a third for the hosts when Page's cross was flicked on by Tait but Stephen was a yard sharper than the substitute to clear the ball behind.

But, in the final minute, Tait was able to wrap things up when the Redbridge defence failed to cope with Page's throw and the ex-Dartford man's miscued volley bobbled past Newcomb and into the net for his third goal in two games.

Redbridge: Newcomb, Ellis, Stephen, Golby, Fletcher, Adams (Birtnell), Ashby, Lee, Skidmore (Edwards), Agdomar, Gillingham (O'Leary)

Report courtesy of www.hornetsreview.co.uk