Tilbury 1, Redbridge 1

DOCKERS' pre-season campaign on home truif began with the visit on Friday, 7 July of Redbridge.

The Motormen looked the livelier of the two sides to start the game, coming close with a free kick which was whipped toward the near-side top corner.

Luckily Anthony Page was wise to it and was able to push the ball away for a corner!

The visitors then came close again when a corner was played back out wide before being sent into the crowded area once again. The ball managed to drop to the feet of the Redbridge skipper, who saw his effort fly just over the bar.

It wouldn't take long for the away side to find the back of the net though when Donovan's late challenge on Bennett awarded Redbridge with a free kick on the right touchline. The cross was an inswinger which caused problems for Dockers' defence, as Tilbury couldn't get the ball cleared. The ball fell to the feet of the striker who made no mistake in poking the ball into the bottom corner to give The Motormen the lead.

The hosts began to grow into the game though, managing to hold onto the ball and were able to construct a chance for an equaliser after 31 minutes.

Jack Folan picked up the ball in the middle of the park before spraying play out wide with a brilliant pass to Johnny Ashman. Ashman had a defender pinned behind him on the touchline, but the pressure from the opposition would not phase the winger as Ashman drifted past his marker and drove goalward, before being taken down for a penalty. Harry Hope stepped up and fired his strike past the keeper to level the scoreline.

Both sides made multiple changes at the break and one of these substitutes was Tilbury goalkeeper, Christian North, who was called to action on the hour mark when the Redbridge winger burst past his man and cut the ball back to the edge of the area.

The strike from an arriving midfielder was heading for the top corner but was denied by North who got across well and jumped on any scraps. Just 6 minutes later, Olly Miles created an opportunity for himself when he fought his was through two defenders and emerged with the ball to find himself one-on-one.

The striker did brilliantly to take the ball around the keeper and get a shot off, but his effort was denied by a goal-line clearance from the defender.

Then, just after the 80th minute, the visitors got two chances in quick succession from Tilbury mistakes, with the first coming from miscommunication and the second being a poor clearance straight to a Redbridge player. Luckily for The Dockers, neither chance amounted to anything as the first saw a strike fly over the bar and the second was denied by Christian North once again.

With just two minutes to play, a hopeful ball forward gave something for Izaih Antoine to chase, as the striker battled for the ball and gave himself a one-on-one chance, where he too took the ball around the keeper before being brought down inside the penalty area. Or so we thought. Despite being what seemed to be five yards inside the area, the referee awarded a free kick on the edge of the box, which amounted to nothing. That was all the action in this pre-season tie at Chadfields, and Tilbury will be disappointed to not be given the chance to win the game in the dying moments, but overall, a draw seemed a fair result.