White Ensign 0 Redbridge 1

Essex Senior League, Wednesday February 9th

Burroughs Park, Great Wakering was my venue on Wednesday evening and it saw a late strike from Redbridge skipper James Barlow hand his side a huge three points against White Ensign in their Essex Senior League contest.

The hosts came into this one off the back of a 1-1 draw at Cockfosters, this after seeing their eight match unbeaten run in the division come to an end the previous midweek against local Southend rivals Southend Manor, it had been a side ravaged by injuries lately so just to get a team out is something for managers Jack Maleary and Carl Conway, but they were hoping to grab all three points here and rise into fifth as a result.

The Motormen themselves were looking for three points to take them just a point behind second placed Stansted and they came into this contest off the back of a 2-2 draw with Saffron Walden Town, this after being 2-0 up as well, and there league form of late has been mixed, with two wins, a draw and two defeats, so they really needed a win here to keep the pressure on that runners up spot.

Redbridge did start the better of the two sides, and came closest to opening the scoring early on when Rob Norris struck an effort against the post from inside the box, and they were the ones creating most of the openings/attacking play in the opening half hour of the contest, although they were unable to make this count.

Ensign managed to grow into the contest as the half wore on though and did create one decent opening when Rudy Cachicote-Da-Roche cut inside onto his right foot before firing a decent effort at the visitors goal, but keeper Michael Cordoroy got across well to beat the effort away, and it meant the game remained goalless at the half time break.

The second half continued with neither side able to get anything going in the final third, both sides build up play was ok, but when it got near the attacking areas they were struggling to create anything of note, which made for a rather frustrating contest for all concerned, and it looked as if the game had 0-0 written all over it, but with five minutes of the ninety remaining that changed.

This is because visitors skipper Barlow, who had encountered a rather frustrating evening like many others had, saw the ball rolled into his path and he fired a powerful left footed effort first time which keeper Louis Hawes saw late, and despite getting a hand to the shot could not keep it from flying into the back of the net, and this proved to be the winning moment for the visitors.

Another frustrating night for Ensign then, who have now lost two of their last three games, and have no wins in that time either, injuries are taking their toll on the side, and it's another late goal which has done for them here, they remain eighth in the table whilst for Redbridge it's a hard fought win and a big three points which takes them a point behind second placed Stansted who they play next in nine days time at Hargrave Park, that proves to be a rather big contest although the Airportmen do play twice before that game.

Ensign welcome St Margaretsbury to Burroughs Park at the weekend and will hope they can get back to winning ways and put what they hope is a small blip behind them.

Full time White Ensign 0 Redbridge 1