Redbridge 1,

Thurrock 1

NON LEAGUE: FLEET bagged a hard earned point against Redbridge – but were unlucky not to get all three.

Mark Stimson’s Thurrock drew 1-1 at Oakside to stay third in the league.

The game had been in doubt before kick off as the East London pitch was subject to a deluge of Friday night rain.

But it went ahead following a late pitch inspection and with a number of key, first team players missing such as Lewwis Spence and Ben Smith, it was Redbridge who took the lead, despite Charlie Stimson and David Knight threatening for Fleet.

In the 44th minute, Jake Knight made a great save to deny Ben Bradbury but from the corner that followed, Redbridge skipper Daniel Martin poked the ball home.

However, the hosts’ lead was short lived. Within seconds, Brad Warner had chalked off Martin’s opener, pouncing on a poor pass back to Redbridge stopper David McCartney, leaving the midfielder a simple finish to ensure the sides were level at the break.

The second half was a more even finely balanced affair, neither side could find a breakthrough. Rob Gilman, one of the Thurrock centre-halves, went off injured in the first half and late in the second half, his replacement Connor Martin also went off injured.

Thurrock: J Knight; Blackwood, Hazelwood, Gilman (Martin), Santos; Matthews, Stanley (J Clark), R Clark, Warner; D Knight, Stimson (Perkins).