The fact the Motormen survived the best part of the final third of the game with 10 men showed the quality, tenacity, hunger and drive that Terry Spillane and his hard-working coaching staff have installed in them and boy is it producing results out on the pitch.

With both sides looking to attack from the off, this was always going to be an exciting game. Cambridge had the first attack of the game with Danny Kelly finding his strike partner Craig Hammond in the area with a high cross which was headed over.

Redbridge then had their first attack moments later. Moments after Nathan Gordon had combined well with Ben Bradbury and Joe Gardner to send in a testing ball into the area from the right, a great run by Vinnie Durrant from left-back fed the ball to Danny Hopkins in the middle who picked out the experienced Dan Trenkel 30 yards from goal who struck a powerful shot inches past Zac Barrett’s post in the home goal.

Bradbury was looking dangerous for the Motormen. After seeing one of his team-mates lose the ball he did well to track back and try to win the ball of City’s Craig Bussens but lunged in and was booked by the referee Adrian Sannerude. The angry home fans inside the City Ground wanted to see the official produce a red-card. More on that was to come, frustratingly later.

Moments after Jamie Haywood made a fantastic block to deny a Hammond shot the hosts hit the woodwork when Bussens headed a Jamie Gould header onto the far-post. Incredibly City’s no. 7 struck the rebound over much to the amusement of Redbridge’s travelling followers.

It was end to end stuff and after Gould selfishly fired over an ambitious shot from 30 yards, Ryan Murray fired an ambitious shot of his own over from 20 yards when the big forward would have been better placed in putting in a ball into the area.

Redbridge then wasted a glorious chance to go into the interval with a lead when Bradbury couldn’t quite poke home a shot on goal following a cross in from the right with Gardner striking the ball against the bar from around eight yards out as the ball broke into his path. The woodwork was hit down the end seconds before Sannerude whistled for half-time as Kelly struck the woodwork with a header following a sensational cross into the area by City’s captain Adrian Cambridge.

HT Cambridge City 0 Redbridge 0

Redbridge got off to a dream start in the second half, scoring five minutes after the restart. Good play in the heart of midfield saw the ball make its way to Gardner on the edge of the box. A great through-ball into the area met Haywood’s well-timed run who struck a shot across goal which deflected in off City’s Ahmed Deeri and into the net for the utility-player’s first goal for the club.

The hosts struck back and were level within nine minutes with Gould firing home after a good piece of trickey within the area. Redbridge though could have retaken the lead shortly after but Barrett did well to save a Gordon shot from a tight angle.

Then with around 20 minutes to go, Bradbury was given a second booking and his marching orders to the suprise of 291 fans in attendance inside the City Ground. Amazingly Sannerude showed the winger a second yellow for taking a corner-kick before he blew his whistle. It was a strange way for Redbridge’s skilful no. 7 to be sent off but the Motormen simply rolled up their sleeves and got on with it, which is a great sign of their quality.

Adam Rafis in goal first made a stunning save to keep out a rasping shot from the edge of the box by Joey Abbs which the experienced keeper would not have seen until the very last nanosecond. Urged on by their manager Spillane, Redbridge pressed on looking to win the game and after Durrant saw a testing drive saved grabbed the winner with nine minutes to go when Gardner drove forward exchanging passes with Gordon to fire in a deflected shot into the bottom left-hand corner of the net to the silence of the home support.

There was still time though for the game to enjoy two more twists as City’s substitute and new signing from Latvia Niks Savalnieks hit the post with a weak shot five minutes from time before Lee Clift was rightfully sent-off after raising his hands to the Motormen’s Ryan Wade deep into injury time.

Another win for Spillane’s ‘Mighty Motormen’ who face arguably the biggest game of their careers on Saturday when they play host to Oxford City in the FA Cup first round. Before that though there’s an Essex Senior Cup game at home to Ryman Premier side Aveley in what will be a chance for the fringe players in the squad to impress. Life certainly is entertaining at the Oakside right now.

Redbridge: Adam Rafis, Billy Sendall, Vinnie Durrant, Jamie Haywood, Glen Golby, Dan Trenkel, Ben Bradbury, Daniel Hopkins, Ryan Murray (Ryan Wade 73), Joe Gardner, Nathan Gordon (James Robinson 82).

Click here for Adam D's interview with first-team coach Jody Brown from after the game.