Redbridge v Concord Rangers
Isthmian League Division One North
This was always going to be a long day. I’d planned to visit a women’s football in the 1920s exhibition in Dagenham before heading on to the football at Redbridge. This all meant an 8.30am start and three trains to Chadwell Heath. For a change this all worked swimmingly and I’d reached Valence House around 10.30am after a twenty-minute walk from Chadwell Heath station. You can read all about the exhibition on the Valence House blog (to follow).
From the exhibition I then made a bit of a rash decision to walk to Redbridge’s ground which turned into a four-mile hike through Dagenham and Ilford. At least it was a beautiful sunny spring day and it got my steps total up!
It’s a nice facility tucked away near parkland but also very close to Barkingside tube station. The new 3G surface only installed in time for the 24/25 season looks a very good playing surface (unlike a couple I’ve seen this season!). Entry to the ground was £10 for Adults, £6 for concessions and free for Under 16s. No printed programme but they do have an online version you can download.
As usual for me, I took a wander around the perimeter of the pitch before heading into the clubhouse. A pint of cider was £5 and a very nice jumbo hot dog cost £4. Also thanks to the lovely lady behind the bar, my front door key escaped my wallet which she spotted and pointed out so that saved me having an interesting evening trying to break into the house later that evening!
With both sides sitting on a comfortable mid-table position, Redbridge in 10th and Concord Rangers in 13th, the teams could have been excused if both were in an already on the beach mindset as they say when you have nothing really left to play for. This game was nothing like that!
So onto the game and the hosts started quickly, playing a high press and picked up a loose pass early on. Solomon Ogunwomoju ran into the area but delayed his shot because he wanted to hit it with his left and that gave Ehizojie Onoabhagbe the chance to recover with a brilliant sliding tackle to clear.
Next Ogunwomoju turned provider, sending a ball through the Rangers defence from inside his own half which Fotsing Wabo picked up and took into the box but put his effort wide of the near post.
At the other end Stephen Cawley chased after a lost cause near the right corner flag, he cut back inside passed to George Sykes who in turn laid it back to Evernage Nyahunda on the edge of the box only for him to balloon the ball high over the bar.
Play was now going from end to end. First Tendi Quamina then had a half chance for the hosts after cutting in from the left but shot straight into the midriff of keeper Harry Seaden, then, after good work again from Sykes on the right, Connor Brooks made space for himself with a nice dummy before trying to curl the ball into the far corner only to see Max Spence get a strong hand to the ball and parry away.
Back at the Rangers end, a corner from the right caused problems in the visitors defence as Seaden called for it but got nowhere near it, the ball finding the head of Wabo but he couldn’t get any power on it and the ball looped harmlessly wide.
Rangers broke quickly and Cawley hit a screamer from 25 yards out which looked to be heading into the roof of the net only for Spence to brilliantly tip the ball over the bar.
Redbridge continued to look the more dangerous and won a succession of corners, all well defended by the visitors and then Ogunwomoju played in Wabo who hit a good strike goalwards only to see Seaden make a good save.
The next wave of attacking from the Beach Boys looked like it might lead to a goal, a lofted ball forward found Nyahunda, he pulled the ball back to Sykes who struck it first time but a superbly timed diving block from captain Joseph Elliott cleared the danger.
Just when it looked like the deadlock wouldn’t be broken and we would be going into half time goalless, the hosts went ahead in the 43rd minute. Quamina was initially blocked but picked up the loose ball and fired across Seaden and into the far corner. 1-0
There was still time for one more chance for the Motormen, an Ogunwomoju strike from 20 yards was met by an acrobatic save from Seaden.
H-T: Redbridge 1 Concord Rangers 0
The visitors started the second half quickly and a pinpoint Liam Jones cross from the left picked out Cawley in the middle only for his header to drift wide of the far post.
In the 52nd minute Rangers were level. A nice move down the right flank culminated in Owen Bellamy firing a cracking ball across the six yard box and finding Cawley who made no mistake with his header this time. 1-1
The first 20 minutes after the break were all Concord pushing forward, a succession of corners put the hosts under pressure but they held firm. Substitute Bobby Kelman was next to test Spence in the home goal, he latched on to a ball over the top and ran into the box before hitting a shot on target under pressure from Kai Thomas-Fraser which Spence beat away at the near post. The rebound fell to Cawley inside the box but Spence was out quickly to block his effort.
At the other end Abs Conten Thompson played a lovely ball through to pick out the run of Wabo, he moved the ball out from under his feet nicely before firing goalwards with Seaden getting down quickly low to his right to save well.
The game had now taken another turn as the hosts started to take control. Nidal Berry’s first action in the game was to pick up a through pass on the left, cut inside and hit a low shot which again Seaden got down well to save.
In the 79th minute it was heartbreak for the visitors. A great run down the left flank from Ogunwomoju saw him reach the by-line, cutting back inside he fired a ball across the six yard box which Seaden parried away only for the ball to rebound off defender Lewis Jaggs’ leg and dribble over the line for an unfortunate own goal. 2-1
For the remaining ten minutes Redbridge peppered the Rangers goal but couldn’t add to their tally, more Seaden saves and some desperate defending keeping the scoreline the same.
There was almost a twist in the tail as, in added time, Concord managed to find the net and thought they’d got a last gasp leveller only for the goal to be ruled out by the linesman’s offside flag (probably the only decision he made in the entire game!)
F-T: Redbridge 2 Concord Rangers 1 Att: 102
An entertaining end to end tussle with both keepers pulling off some spectacular saves otherwise this could easily have finished 5-5!
I enjoyed my day at Redbridge and met some great people there. Thanks to everyone at the club for your hospitality and wish the best of luck to both sides going forward.
The journey home was remarkable as all the trains went like clockwork, as soon as I stood on a platform my tube/train arrived. It never happens like that and I know I’ll pay for that on a future trip!