Redbridge hosted Phoenix Sports for the first ever time and desperately needed the 3 points against the newly promoted side.

The first half was a very poor affair and passed without any real effort of note and little in the way of clear chances. The best effort fell to the visitors when a good run out on the right wing by Jack Dimmock finally saw the ball fall straight into the path of Ricky Freeman but his point blank effort was superbly palmed away by Jack Avery in goal.

Redbridge’s best effort took until early in the second period to come when Jay Knight’s shot could only be parried by Steve Phillips in the Phoenix goal and although the ball fell kindly to the oncoming Reside Coxe-Sebastfao he could only find the side netting.

The away side deservedly took the lead on 56 minutes when Freeman picked up possession outside the area and with seemingly nothing on he simply looked up and with the outside of his foot lifted the ball cleverly over the advanced Avery who was left stranded.

The goal brought the game to life and it should have shortly soon after been 2-0 when Harrison Carnegie beat his man before cutting inside his marker squaring the ball to the lively Freeman but his shot once again was turned away by the outstanding Redbridge goalkeeper.

The save however counted for nothing as from the resulting corner the same player doubled both his and his team’s advantage when the ball fortunately bounced off his knee and rolled past Avery.

Redbridge made their remaining substitutions in hope of getting back into the match but the home side’s misery was completed when Freeman popped up with his hat trick when he simply headed home unmarked from a free kick.

The defeat leaves the Motormen alarmingly falling towards the bottom three and they face a daunting trip to top of the table Cray Wanderers this coming Sunday.

Match Report by Adam Silver