Redbridge’s first game back at the Oakside in 2011 saw them exit the London Senior Cup as Tooting & Mitcham just did enough on the night to defeat the Motormen.

It was though a good performance on the night though, which new manager Jody Brown will have been encouraged with especially with the club facing a tricky end to the season with games coming thick and fast.

The game almost started of with a bang as Redbridge were almost gifted a goal inside the second minute. A poor clearance from Tooting’s Jamie Butler in goal receiving a back pass was smacked right out to Julian Edward’s Redbridge’s number 9 inside the penalty area.

Sadly for Edwards with the speed the ball was travelling at, he could not make any attempt to control the ball. Luckily for Butler his clearance only smacked Edwards on the side of his body and the keeper was able to pick the ball up much to his relief.

Tooting put that scare behind them to put Redbridge under early pressure. Thankfully for Brown in charge of his first home game after being appointed as the club’s manager, his keeper Elliot Justham was looking in top form.

In the first 15 minutes of the game, Justham made an impression making some terrific saves from Tooting’s forward line of Jason Henry and Rob Haworth. Both forwards were looking dangerous and saw close range shots not only saved but pushed wide of goal, so that even rebounds wouldn’t come their way.

Just before the half hour Redbridge took the lead. Good play in midfield from Kevin McLeod and Julian Ashby helped feed the ball to Edwards just outside the box.

Using his experience well Edwards simply fed the ball back to Shane Stamp who sidestepped his marker before stroking the ball into the top corner of the net from roughly 25 yards out. It was a fantastic strike for Stamp who would go to on to have a fine game on his home debut.

After that Redbridge really ought to have doubled their lead. Great play on the wing from Stamp cut Tooting apart but sadly his brilliant ball into the box wasn’t finished upon by Edwards who saw his close range shot somehow saved by Butler.

After that Glen Golby saw two efforts blocked from a corner much to the visitors’ relief. Those close shaves perhaps were a turning point in the game as just before half time Tooting equalised. After Henry had a shot blocked following a Sam Butler cross, Tyrone Sealey neatly clipped the ball home past a diving Justham.

It was harsh on the Motormen to concede moments before half time, but Tooting’s earlier pressure probably deserved it.

Conceding just before half time was a blow for the Motormen, cruelly a further blow came minutes after the restart as the visitors took the lead.

Henry who had came close to scoring in the first half, let fly from just outside the area and the ball crept just inside the corner, for a fine individual goal.

Redbridge kept their heads up after that and came close to getting an equaliser when first Edwards then Hyun-Jin Lee saw efforts inside the area saved by Butler.

Not long after Tooting wrapped the game up with Sealey heading home following a good ball from the right by Jamie Byatt. Tooting could have scored a fourth late on but a brilliant header off his line by McLeod stopped a Haworth shot creeping in.

At the end of the night, Redbridge may have lost. But it was a very encouraging performance from the team and one that Brown and his staff would have been pleased with, considering that Tooting are of course a Ryman Premier side.

Redbridge: Justham, Artun, Stephen, Crossley, Fletcher, Golby, Stamp, Ashby (O'Leary), Edwards (Kayemebe), Lee (Adams), McLeod

I caught up with our new manager Jody Brown after the game and and found out his take on the defeat and the boys good performance. To downloand and hear the interview go to http://www.mediafire.com/?rxtbgn1a7aatjq5.