Redbridge 2-3 Sittingbourne

Redbridge have tasted the heady heights of Conference South football just a couple of seasons ago as well as memorable FA Cup ties against the likes of Port Vale and Preston but this friendly club, who used to be Ford United, now ply their trade in the Ryman league Division 1 North which is the same level as Sittingbourne so after last weeks FA Cup tie against Fisher this one looked a much more winnable game..and so it proved but only after a tremendous fight-back by the home side, writes Peter Pitts.

Sittingbourne though signalled their intention to put that Fisher game behind them after just two minutes when Andy Doerr's run down the right ended in a cross to Kieran Marsh who under pressure from Danny Walker headed the ball against the crossbar.

Sittingbourne were looking confident and apart from a good shot by Chris Sloane on 9 minutes which sailed narrowly past Steve Williams right hand post were looking the side most likely to open the scoring, and that's just what they did on the half hour when a Ricky Spiller corner was brilliantly headed into the net by an unmarked Lee Browning.

Redbridge seldom troubled Williams in this half. They won a number of free kicks in good positions that were all wasted whilst Sittingbourne were putting together some good moves.

The second half was an exciting affair and at one time it looked as though the Brickies would coast home after they scored two more goals this half.

The first of these came on 53 minutes when a Doerr cross sought out an unmarked Mark Lovell who had ample time to pick his spot before heading the ball in the net.

Redbridge's Ian Luck then had a crashing shot rebound off Paul Ainsworth who is now looking a tower of strength in the centre of defence.

Luck caused problems again on 62 minutes this time Toby Ashmore came to the rescue with a sliding tackle that put the ball over the goal line for a corner.

Despite these Redbridge raids into the Brickies area it was Sittingbourne who seemed to be getting well on top and a Joe Dowley / Browning move ended in Doerr's shot bouncing off a defender for a corner.

At the other end the ball trickled through Williams grasp but travelled along the goal line and out of harms way.

Sittingbourne extended their lead on 68 minutes and again the goal came from a cross, this time it was Browning who supplied the ball to Lovell and as in his first goal he seemed to have all the time in the world before he crashed the ball to the right of the keeper.

The game looked to be done and dusted at 0-3 but Redbridge had other ideas and two minutes later the tricky Luck got round the Brickies defence before crossing infield to the lurking Chris Sloane who scrambled the ball in the Brickies net.

Three minutes later the alarm bells were ringing for Sittingbourne as Matt Nicholls was harshly adjudged to have fouled just outside the Brickies area and up stepped Mitch Hahn to crash a great shot round the Brickies wall and past Williams into the net for Redbridge's second.

This set up a nail biting last twenty minutes for the Brickies and their supporters but despite some promising moves by Redbridge they couldn't trouble Williams again and the Brickies march on to the next round.

Sittingbourne: Williams, Ashmore, Dowley, Ainsworth, Browning, Marsh, Spiller, Gooding, Lovell, Doerr, Sherwood (Nicholl 58), Subs: Belcher, Neal, Elder