Redbridge 3 Stansted 2

Essex Senior League, Tuesday 30th January 2018

Calvin Poku came off the bench to net a late winner for Redbridge against Stansted as they made it thirteen straight league wins and went six clear at the top of the Essex Senior League.

The visitors were in decent form themselves coming into this one having taken ten points from twelve since the turn of the year and so this one promised to be a decent showing.

It started very well for the hosts though as in just the fourth minute, moments after Stansted keeper Laurence Whymark had beaten away a Brian Moses effort, the keeper inexplicably dropped a ball at the feet of Moses, and the Redbridge forward rolled the loose ball into the empty net.

The visitors though responded well to going behind and on the quarter hour mark saw Redbridge keeper Lewis Greene comes out and collide with Stansted’s Julian Lloyd as he ran onto a ball forward. The visitors were furious as they were adamant they should of had a foul, but the referee saw the infringement against the visiting man.

But just four minutes later the Airportmen were celebrating when after winning a free kick outside the box, Stefan Nielsen rifled the set piece into the bottom corner and the Airportmen were level.

Redbridge went close on the half hour mark when an Eljay Worrell free kick almost saw Coxi-Sebastfao get on the end of it, however it remained 1-1, that was until seven minutes before the break when a defensive slip allowed Jacob Dingli in on goal and he made no mistake by slotting into the far corner to restore the hosts lead.

Late on in the half Stansted attempted to get back on level terms once again and and saw a ball from skipper Ryan Ramsey fired into the dangerzone hacked over his bar by Jonathon Mbamarah, although the resulting corner came to nothing though.

Redbridge then went close to making it three just before half time, firstly seeing the ball drop to Dingli on the edge of the box but firing an effort straight at Whymark, before the keeper then tipped a Thomas Gogo effort onto the bar before Moses fired over.

In was the final act in a competitive first period and saw the hosts ahead at the break.

Half Time Redbridge 2 Stansted 1

Stansted to their credit kept fighting and fought back to level again in the 56th minute when after Lloyd had charged after the full back to try and get the ball, he caught him and stole the ball off him, crossed towards skipper Ramsey who fired brilliantly into the top corner for a wonderful equaliser.

Just past the hour mark came a six minute delay after Stansted’s Jack West suffered a knee injury and received treatment before being carried off, but the game had become rather fractious and scrappy in what was now wet conditions at Oakside.

And in the 68th minute Redbridge missed a golden opportunity to retake the lead for a third time when Moses somehow headed a free kick wide from inside the six yard box, it looked easier to score if truth be told.

However in the 76th minute it was the visitors who had their head in their hands as they went so close to taking the lead as Lloyd pounced on a defensive slip, poked the ball towards goal, but the lack of power meant Courtney Homans managed to get back to clear the ball off the line.

Back down the other end and the hosts saw a effort deflected over, before the visitors almost netted with ten minutes remaining when Nielsen fired just wide of the far post after a ball had been cut back to him by Paul Preston.

Redbridge responded with another chance of their own when Moses got to the byline and saw his cross just go over the head of Reside Coxi-Sebastfao at the far post, and the game had now become rather lively with both teams upset with some of the referee’s decisions, however it remained 2-2 as the game entered a long period of stoppage time.

Poku had been brought on along with Sipho Mtyanda to try and find a winner, and five minutes into the extra period they found one, and it was that man Poku who found space inside the box to smash home and send Redbridge wild with delight.

And despite the referee playing another ten minutes extra, Redbridge took the points and thus ended Stansted’s unbeaten start to 2018, after digging out another victory in this one.

Full Time Redbridge 3 Stansted 2

Milton Keynes Dons 0 Coventry City 1

Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round, Saturday 27th January 2018

Maxime Biamou struck in the 62^nd minute to fire Coventry City into Round Five of the Emirates FA Cup at the expense of Milton Keynes Dons at Stadium MK.

The visitors had disposed of Premier League Stoke City in the previous round, whilst hosts MK had also caused a shock in the previous round by knocking out Championship Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road, so both had recorded ‘Cupsets’ in the previous round.

The Sky Blues are going well in the league and sit just inside the playoffs in League Two, however it’s a different story for the hosts who are struggling in League One and saw manager Robbie Neilson lose his job after defeat at Northampton Town, but had appointed a new management team, with Dan Micciche installed as new boss along with Keith Millen as his assistant and Dean Lewington as player coach.

No doubt the club were hopeful the change would have a positive impact on this cup tie and also the league form going forward and early on it was the Dons who were on the front foot and the first chance of the game came after ten minutes when Marcus Tavernier fired a shot from range and saw it deflect wide.

The Sky Blues themselves tried to get themselves into the contest and in the 18^th minute saw a corner drilled in which was won by McDonald, but saw his header saved by keeper Nicholls, and then five minutes later MK went back on the attack and after Sow had seen another effort blocked, a ball into the box was met by Algard, however McDonald got his body in the way before the follow up from Tavernier went well over.

However a minute later the Sky Blues almost took the lead when McNulty played a one two with Doyle, with his touch finding Biamou, and the latter’s effort was brilliantly saved by Nicholls.  Bayliss then fired an effort wide of the MK goal before a Coventry corner just before the half hour mark saw a Barrett effort blocked.

With five minutes of the half remaining Barrett dragged an effort wide for the visitors before MK then had a period of pressure on the Sky Blues goal, however they could not test keeper Burge apart from a punch clear from one cross, before a minute before the break both sides had chances, firstly when McNulty forced hosts keeper Nicholls into a decent stop, before MK broke and saw Tavernier burst through but see keeper Burge come and claim the ball at the feet of the attacker.

It meant the half ended goalless with both sides having seen openings but fail to take them, and it meant all to play for in the second half.

Half Time Milton Keynes Dons 0 Coventry City 0

Three minutes into the half Gilbey had a couple of efforts at the Coventry goal, the first one brought a shout for handball, before the second went wide, before five minutes into the half the visitors went so close to taking the lead when a long ball from McDonald found McNulty, who cut inside and struck an effort inches wide of the far post.  It drew gasps of breath amongst the fans around me, we all thought it was in!!

Just past the hour mark it was MK who were holding their heads as Williams brilliantly got to a ball that looked to be going out of play, and he fired a wicked ball right across the six yard box which Agard looked sure to convert but the ball got stuck underneath his feet and the chance was gone.

And in this game of fine margins instead of going a goal up, MK soon found themselves a goal behind as a minute later the Sky Blues broke the deadlock, when after superb work from Bayliss on the right, he slid in McNulty and his ball towards goal saw Baimou get to it and hit an effort through Nicholls legs and saw the ball squeeze over the line before the defender on the line could clear, and it sent the 8,000 Sky Blues fans behind that goal crazy.  Cue pitch invasion and the like but the joy was there for all to see, and they now had a lead to hold onto.

However the visitors actually looked to end this tie and in the 67^th minute went close when Bayliss again did well down the right, found McNulty and his ball across was met by Kelly but it went wide, and then two minutes later saw a Shipley corner headed over by Willis in the 69^th minute, before a Shipley free kick was saved by Nicholls.

With ten minutes remaining and with MK desperately looking for an equaliser, Tavernier saw his deflected effort turned over by Burge, but sadly for the hosts the corner came to nothing.

With a bumper crowd of 14,925 inside Stadium MK (admittedly swelled by the huge Sky Blues following) the hosts so desperately wanted them to have something to cheer about and they saw Wootton head wide from a corner before another penalty shout from MK after what they deemed a foul on Ugbo fell on deaf ears.

Six minutes of stoppage time was then announced and the Sky Blues so nearly sealed the win when they broke after Stevenson won the ball, the former then played a one two with McNulty, but then saw his one on one effort saved by Nicholls.

It meant a nervy final few minutes for the Sky Blues but they held firm and knocked out another higher league opponent for the second round in succession to take their place in the Last 16 of the competition.  The dream continues.

Full Time Milton Keynes Dons 0 Coventry City 1