Redbridge started the game well and looked lively up front with Joe Gardner linking up with Ryan Murray. Good work down the right won the Motormen a throw-in on five minutes. For fans of the club that can only mean one thing these days - as with the club having scored seven goals from throw-ins already this season – they know that there’s a good chance of us scoring from one.

Hardly anyone inside the ground then was surprised when Billy Sendall’s long-throw was flicked onto the back post by Glen Golby to Ben Bradbury who guided the ball into the far corner of the net to put the Motormen ahead. It was Redbridge’s no.7 seventh goal of the season and the midfielder just has a knack of being in the right place at the right time so far this season.

Redbridge looked likely of doubling their lead before the quarter hour mark and after Murray worked hard to win a corner, Dan Trenkel rose well only to head a tough chance over the bar. Ilford’s defence were looking at six’s and seven’s with Redbridge looking a threat on every attack.

Gardner who scored in the Motormen’s 3-1 victory at Waltham Abbey in midweek almost got his second goal for the club when he acrobatically flicked Bradbury’s freekick from the right onto the edge of the woodwork.

Ilford barley threatened in the first half but Adam Rafis in goal for the Motormen reacted well saving from Steve Opoko inside the area after Sam Adejokun had found him in the box after reacting to a loose ball. It was a good save from the big keeper who certainly appears to be thriving since joining the Motormen from Harlow last month.

A brilliant Marradona-like run from Gardner presented Danny Hopkins (who also scored in Redbridge’s 3-1 win at Waltham Abbey) with a great chance to score his second goal in the space of a week, but frustratingly the hard-working midfielder couldn’t keep his powerful shot down from inside the area and much to the relief of Ilford’s keeper Rob Budd the ball flew well over the bar.

Ilford were living dangerously at the back and Redbridge just couldn’t seem to find that second goal. First Gardner saw a shot blocked by ex-Redbridge player Richard Simpson before Murray couldn’t quite drag in a shot after being tussled inside the area from a Bradbury cross.

Next Nathan Gordon (who played for Ilford last season) saw a chance go begging with his shot inside the area being saved by Budd with the former Redbridge keeper somehow keeping out a misdirected clearance to his own goal by his team mate Anton Trice who was under pressure from Gardner. How the hosts were only 1-0 down at half-time was a miracle to say the least.

HT Ilford 0 Redbridge 1

The half started frustratingly for Redbridge who through they should have doubled their lead two minutes into the half. A long throw-in by Sendall was flicked on well by Trenkel and appeared to go in of one of Ilford’s defenders only for the referee to rule the goal out due to a shove in the box by Gardner, which appeared to have happened after the ball went in as crazy as it sounds.

Moments after Golby flashed a header wide, Ilford broke clear and won a penalty when Jonathan Wheatstone hauled down Ilford’s substitute Wal Adejokun inside the area. It was a clear penalty and Opoko did the job from the spot sending Rafis the wrong wa to get the hosts back on level terms on 55 minutes.

Three minutes later Ilford were in the lead. Wheatstone appeared to be outmuscled by Opoko this time round and the forward’s shot was partially saved by Rafis but hit Golby who was there to block the ball and fell straight into the path of Sam Adejokun who despite Sendall getting back on the line to try and clear the ball just did enough to bundle the ball in.

Ilford’s fans were delirious with the goal and it appeared to a certain extent that some (maybe not al) of their players seemed to think that they’d won the game the way they celebrated the goal. With 32 minutes left in the game, there was still time for Redbridge to turn things round and five minutes after going behind Redbridge to the delight of their fans equalised.

A great long freekick by Luke Wilson who looked solid at left-back making his first appearance of the season was delivered perfectly into the area for Golby to head home. It was a captain’s goal from the powerful centrehalf and you could just see Ilford’s heads drop the second the defender’s header nestled into the bottom corner.

Six minutes later Redbridge went ahead. A corner into the box by Bradbury was flicked back into the area by Golby for Dan Trenkel who on the second attempt of controlling the ball struck a rasping shot past Budd. It was the experienced midfielder’s fifth goal of the season.

It was to prove to be the match-winner as despite Ilford doing their best to get an attempt on goal, Rafis was not threatened and the Motormen held on to move into the next round of the Trophy where they will face fellow Ryman North side Needham Market at home.

Redbridge: Adam Rafis, Billy Sendall (Jamie Haywood 70), Luke Wilson, Jonathan Wheatstone, Glen Golby, Dan Trenkel, Ben Bradbury, Danny Hopkins, Ryan Murray (Shane Stamp 70), Joe Gardner (Stuart Hepburn 85), Nathan Gordon.

Click here for the post match interview with our first team coach Jody Brown.

Click here to hear what Ilford's manager Colin Walton had to say on his side's defeat to us.