Redbridge hosted Stanway Rovers as the two sides met for the first time in a competitive fixture after Rovers moved across to the Essex Senior League from the Eastern Counties League.

The home side started the stronger of the teams and took an early lead after 5 minutes which came from their first attack, Samuel Phillips found Larry Asare on the left flank and he cut inside beating two men before unleashing a fierce shot which beat Lewis Hawley.

Stanway then came up field as the ball fell to Alfie Cleal and his shot from a wide angle was easily gathered by Lewis Green in the Redbridge goal.

The home then had a good chance to double their advantage when Phillips found Calvin Poku who did well to turn past a defender before getting in a shot which was saved by the feet of Hawley going out for a corner.

Stanway then won a free kick just outside the area and after some time Marley Okosi finally stepped up but he curled his effort wide of the upright. Okosi then thought he was through on goal after running onto a long pass but Redbridge skipper Vinny Murphy did well to get back and clear the danger.

Both sides were finding it difficult to retain possession and were guilty of giving the ball away however it was the Motormen who extended their lead when Jack Stevenson played in Terrell Miller who took the ball in his stride before firing into the far corner of the net.

Soon after it was almost a case of deja-vu as Stevenson and Miller again combined however this time the winger put his shot the wrong side of the post.

Into the second half and Poku ran onto a long pass beating Hawley to the ball before squaring into Stevenson who then found Asare but he could only blast over from a good position.

Against the run of play Stanway were then gifted a goal when Greene came out to clear a ball but got in a mix up with defender Daniel Smith which allowed the ball to fall at the feet of Okosi who had the simple task of tapping home into an empty net.

The goal certainly gave the away side belief and they broke up field after Redbridge had lost possession as Cleal looked to curl a shot into the corner but it dropped wide.

They were however soon back on level terms as Okosi was quickest to a ball beating the outcoming Greene as he slid the ball past the goalkeeper and into the goal to get his team back into the match , a position which at half time looked unlikely.

Redbridge then had shouts for a penalty as Bryan Kyungu was brought down to the ground however the referee waved away any appeals. Miller then did well down the right wing firing in a low cross which just evaded substitute Tommie Turner who was lurking at the far post.

Redbridge then regained the lead when Turner crossed into the box and Asare was first to react in a crowded penalty box to poke the ball home. The same player then almost grabbed his hattrick when he collected a pass from Phillips and shot first time but his effort just cleared the bar.

A massive let off for the home side followed when as Stanway broke quickly down the right and a cross came in finding Okosi all alone in the box and just as it seemed certain he would grab his hattrick he somehow managed to smash his effort against the bar from within the six yard box and proceeded to hold his head in his hands , a better chance this season he probably won’t have and it certainly was one for the “worst misses of the season DVD”.

His tears soon turned to joy however as his team showed character to once again equalise as with the Redbridge defence failing to clear a corner the ball fell to Milo Grimes who saw his shot beat Greene but hit a post and roll across the box to Danny Nesbitt who was on hand to poke the ball over the line.

Redbridge though they had scored a late winner when substitute Patrick Duggan saw his well taken free kick superbly tipped onto the bar by Hawley before Okosi had a run at the home defence but proceeded to only fire into the welcome arms of Greene.

The final whistle blew meaning Redbridge are still in search of that elusive home league victory and will certainly see this result as a case of two points dropped.

report by Adam Silver