Brentwood 2s v Redbridge & Ilford 1s

Brentwood 2s started the season with a good performance without getting the result they perhaps deserved from their first game back in Division 3SE after winning Division 4SE on the final game of last season.

With a much changed team from the team that finished last season so strongly, the 2s started the game with plenty of possession against a Redbridge and Ilford team who had finished comfortably mid-table in this league last season.

Redbridge and Ilford played almost the whole game camped in their own half, playing a very disciplined half court press, which made it very difficult for Brentwood to break them down, but did mean that the 2s saw plenty of the ball throughout the match. The first half was played almost predominately in the middle of the pitch with few opportunities at goal for either team.

The second half got underway in much the same vein as the first, until a mistake at the back from Brentwood allowed Redbridge and Ilford their first short corner of the match. The first short corner was saved on the line, but two more short corners followed in the next few minutes, which Redbridge and Ilford put away with drag flicks into the corners.

At 2 down Brentwood came out a little more and tried to force the pace of the game, but only ended up conceding another goal from a Redbridge and Ilford breakaway. However Brentwood continued to push forward and press Redbridge higher up the pitch and finally got their reward when Steve Gilchrist converted a short corner which came back off the keepers pads.

Simon Chambers had a goal disallowed for Brentwood as they continued to push forward in the closing 10 minutes, and a couple of half chances came and went, leaving Redbridge and Ilford to run out 3-1 winners. The game though offered plenty of positives for Brentwood as in reality, aside from a couple of short corners, the opposition rarely troubled Brentwood, and certainly gave the a good basis for progression as the season develops.