Venue: Southchurch Park
Attendance: 37
Date: Tuesday 27th September 8pm
Southend Manor: Yellow Shirts, Black Shorts, Black & Yellow Socks
Redbridge: Red & White Shirts, Red Shorts & Red Socks
Scott W reporting (Follow me on Twitter: @ScottMHC14)
On a cool evening at Southchurch Park, Southend Manor took on Redbridge in an ESL encounter.
The match was delayed until 8pm due to traffic problems. Unfortunately, the visitors looked a bit ‘jet-lagged’ in the early stages of the match, as Manor took the lead with only four minutes on the clock with Rhys Fatt prodding home, following poor Redbridge defending. Manor quickly doubled their advantage, Michael Hopkins blasting home into the roof of the net following-up after Callum Ibe’s effort was blocked by Redbridge ‘keeper Lloyd Anderson.
Manor weren’t content with a two-goal cushion though, as the sluggish visitors had to repel wave after wave of Manor attacks, being thankful for last-ditch defending and poor finishing from the hosts for not being further behind in the first 20 minutes.
Jack Roult, Jay Knight & captain Kieran English all missed chances for Redbridge to get back in the game during the course of the first half. Then, with half-time approaching, Redbridge winger Joe Gent was amazingly denied three times in the same move by a combination of last-ditch defending & home ‘keeper Ellis Holiday, making his debut for the club.
Half-Time: Southend Manor 2 – 0 Redbridge
At the start of the second period, Gent was Redbridge’s most creative outlet, drawing saves from Holiday and fizzing in the odd cross in as well from the right flank.
However, it was Manor who made it 3-0 through substitute Sam Short. Manor continued to push forward, Hopkins drawing a good save from ‘keeper Anderson.
A frenetic finale to the match started through English tapping-in a consolation for the visitors after Gent had hit the bar. Minutes after, Ibe rounded Anderson and lobbed the ball into the net to make it 4-1 to Manor, though right on 90 minutes, Knight atoned for his earlier miss by grabbing a late second for his side.
Full-Time: Southend Manor 4 – 2 Redbridge
Fatt 4’ English 83’
Hopkins 8’ Knight 90’
Short 67’
Ibe 89’
Summary: Manor will be happy with the way they started the match and looked a threat going forward in a good win for Stuart Marshall’s men. Redbridge though couldn’t settle in the first half and will need to plug their leaky backline to move up the ESL table. They did keep going though and that will please co-managers Ricky Eaton & Dave Ross.
Teams*:
Southend Manor Starting XI: Holiday (GK), Bottone, Keen, Okah, Buchanan, Norris (C.), Jex, Newell, Fatt, Ibe & Hopkins
Redbridge Starting XI: Anderson (GK), Opok, Akande, Odutola, Roult, Gent, McCann, Gordon, Coxi -Sebastfao, English (C.) & Knight
*Unfortunately, Full Team-sheets were unavailable for this match.
survivor16b 