Ex Redbridge striker Jacob Cleaver returned to the Oakside to score the winning goal to give his side all 3 points.
Great Wakering Rovers took the lead with barely 2 minutes on the clock when Jay Nash latched onto a through ball and fired past Callum Chafer.

It was the worst possible start for the home side who were in desperate need for the win to give themselves any chance of pulling clear from relegation.

Nash nearly doubled the away side’s lead just two minutes later when some woeful Redbridge defending almost saw him add a second goal but this time the home side escaped.

Another ex Motorman Nick Skelton also went close as Redbridge found it difficult to get into their stride.

It took Redbridge until the 17th minute to muster their first chance but Rigers Kabashi could only drill his free-kick across the Great Wakering box as the midfielder went in search of his first goal for the club.

Chafer in the Redbridge goal was able to keep the home side in the contest after pulling off saves to deny both Nash and Bradley.

However Redbridge did get back on equal terms after 36 minutes when Carlos Espirito-Santo in his 2nd spell worked his way into the box and rifled home past Adam Seal as both sides went in level at the break.

Great Wakering had an appeal for a penalty turned down in the opening stages of the second half.

It was Redbridge however who went on to have the better chances of the 2nd half as both Santos-Espirito and Reside Coxi-Sebastfao made a nuisance of themselves and certainly kept Seal busy.

Great Wakering were restricted to a few long range efforts and as it seemed both sides were settling with a point until up popped that man Jacob Cleaver.

He collected the ball and weaved his way past a couple of challenges before poking the ball past the advancing Chafer and just as in the reverse fixture he was to prove the difference between the two sides.

report by Scott Lanza