Redbridge B clinch promotion

In a game billed as a winners-take-all fixture, a capacity crowd was drawn to Fairlop on a sunny morning.

MGBSFL Division Two
Redbridge B 2 FC Team C 1
Sunday, 13 April, 2014

FC Team started brightly and were causing problems from wide positions, the problem being that they had no one on the end of it .

Against the run of play, Redbridge took the lead when Adam Goldsmith’s superb corner was met with a bullet header by captain, Darren Brown. The goal helped Redbridge settle down, nerves had got the better of them but now, they started to impose themselves. The second goal came from a run and finish from Scott Oldstein which saw Redbridge to a two-goal lead at half-time. A penalty was denied Redbridge on the stroke of the interval, as Sam Sollosi was bundled over, but the referee was at least 50 yards away so couldn’t give it .

FC Team came out firing in the second half and pulled a goal back within five minutes with another header from a yard out from a well-taken corner.

FC Team pressed hard for the equaliser which would take them up and had a lot of possession with nothing for it. James Joseph was finally brought on with around 15 minutes left and had an immediate impact , bringing others in to play. An unsavoury incident occurred on the touchline with the Team player getting a straight red card for pushing the younger Sollosi in the face, so it was all hands to the pump for the last 10 minutes. Craig Sandford had a chance for glory with a one on one with the keeper and tried one of his famous dinks that didn’t quite work out. With the clock ticking down, FC Team were throwing the kitchen sink at Redbridge and leaving only one at the back and the keeper up for a corner, Sapler shot from 70 yards at an empty net , just missing.

With the last attack of the match, FC Team attacked and with a great run from Joseph into the box, he got cleaned out by Sapler, he stumbled in trying to stay on his feet and then tumbled to the ground. No penalty given and the referee blew his whistle to give a historic win, three points and automatic promotion to the boys from Redbridge.

Fifteen wins out of 17 games played, two defeats on the pitch, a fitting end to the season for the boys.

Redbridge manager jon Jacobs said: “The best two teams in the Division fought each other to a stand still in a game that could have gone either way , a credit to my boys for resisting and hanging on for the win.

“Over the course of the season, my boys have conceded the least goals and won 15 out of the 18 games; a magnificent achievement

“I’m sure a lot of the top teams will be looking at my boys but I am sending them all to University to escape the big money offers coming their way.”