Both sides found it difficult to get a foothold in the game and play attractive football on a well weathered Trafford Park pitch.

Wroxham's last two games had fallen foul to the recent bad weather, but a 9am pitch inspection on Satruday morning deemed this game to be playable.

A week's forced rest had given the Yachtsmen a chance to gather their team's thoughts after picking up only 3 points in their last 4 league games. Wroxham were also able to get some of their injured players back fit, with Ros Hipperson back in the starting line up, and midfielder Jamie Speller starting the game on the bench.

First team regular, Gavin Lemmon, surprisingly started the game on the bench alongside defender Daniel Self, and strker Jamie Forshaw.

Wroxham were the ones who started the game the brightest, with Ros Hipperson coming the closest to scoring in the opening 5 minutes when he got on the end of an Angelo Harrop free kick but put his close range header inches over the visitors goal.

But it was Redbridge who opened the scoring when Lee Martin was first to a long ball over the top of the Yachtsmen's defence and crossed the ball in to the centre of the box to Jacob Cleaver, who dispatched his shot past goalkeeper Michael Hilton.

However, it did not take Wroxham long to respond through Ben Thompson, who got on the end of a through ball and blasted a half volley past Michael Bowditch on 9 minutes to equalise.

Then Ross Durrant nearly put the hosts in front on 15 minutes when he went on a run inside from the right but hit a tame shot which was comfortably saved by the Redbridge goalkeeper.

The visitors were then gifted a second goal when Ross Durrant,under no pressure, gave the ball away in the middle of the park. Redbridge's midfield carried the ball forward before playing in Lee Martin down the right. Martin played a bobbly ball across goal which Wroxham were unable to deal with, and eventually landed to Jacob Cleaver at the far post who comfortably slotted the ball past Hilton for his and Redbridge's second of the match.

Wroxham were unable to pull level before half time. Matt Halliday came the closest to scoring in the final 20 or so minutes of the first half, on 32 minutes, but he glanced his header from a Remi Gordon free kick across the face of the goal.

Both teams struggled to create much of real note in front of goal during the remainder of the half, with both sides finding it difficult to keep the ball and play any decent football on a sticky,slippery and bobbly pitch. The sides were forced in to playing a lot of long ball football for the remainder of the first half.

HT - Wroxham 1-2 Redbridge

Wroxham saw a need to change things at half time and took off defender Josh Carus who was replaced by striker Jamie Forshaw, with Wroxham going all out in attack to get back on level terms.

Redbridge came out of the changing rooms looking to increase their 2-1 lead and came ever so close to doing so with only 1 minute gone in the second half. Again, striker Cleaver getting an opportunity to score his hat trick when he was played in over the top of the Wroxham defence but had his half volley on goal saved by Michael Hilton.

Ben Thompson then came close to getting his second and Wroxham's equaliser when he picked the ball up in the Redbridge area on 50 minutes but dragged his shot wide.

The ball then went up the other end and Lee Martin was played through, clean on goal, one on one with Hilton, but he put his shot wide.

David Batch felt it was time to make the Yachtsmen's second change of the match on 55 minutes; taking off Matt Blake for Jamie Speller.

And Wroxham had a chance to get back on level terms on 58 minutes but after some neat footwork by Ross Durrant, he dragged his effort the wrong side of the post.

Wroxham felt the need to make their final substitue of the game soon after, replacing young Ben Lewis with experienced right back Danny Self.

Soon after, Redbridge made their first change of the game when they took off Ryan Reed and replaced him with Christopher Roberts.

The changes took a while to settle in, with both sides finding it difficult to retain possession for long periods. Wroxham continued to push and seek for an equaliser, with Jamie Forshaw forcing a fine save out of Bowditch on 68 minutes when he found some time and space on the edge of the Redbridge area before putting his foot through the ball, seeing his shot well stopped by the Redbridge No.1.

Michael Hilton was then forced in to a smart save when Matt Halliday deflected a Redbridge cross towards his own goal on 72 minutes and had his own goalkeeper to thank for his acrobatics, saving him from embarassment.

Both teams continued to seek the next goal, with Wroxham attempting to break down the Redbridge defence to level the score, and Redbridge continuing to press for thier third goal to all but see off the Yachtsmen.

But the footballing battle came to a hault on 81 minutes when some strong challenges in the midfield from both teams resulted in Jamie Speller receiving a blow to the head when Redbridge's Nikki Beale deliberately kneed Speller in the back of the head right in front of the Yahctmen's home dug out, causing a scuffle between both sets of players and coaching team. The match officials took a couple of minutes to pull both teams apart and make a decision whether any players deserved a caution or dismissal.

The linesman confirmed he did not see the incident and the referee decided a word with both captains was enough and decided that Beale's deliberate knee in to the back of Jamie Spellers head didn't even deserve a yellow card, let a lone a red. This frustrated the Wroxham faithful.

And it was Wroxham who ended up playing the last 10 minutes or so with 10 men when Speller took his frustrations from the Beale incident out on the referee a minute later and was sent off for dissent.

Things went from bad to worse for Yachtsmen deep in to stoppage time when Redbridge scored their third and put the game beyond the home team. Wroxham were given a free kick just outside the Redbridge area, their last opportunity to get the draw. Danny Self placed the ball but instead of blasting the ball at goal, got caught in two minds and decided to try a cheeky little dink over the top of the Redbridge defence. But his chip hit the wall and was cleared to striker Lee Martin who ran three quarters of the pitch before slotting his ball past Hilton to sink the Yachtsmen.

FT - Wroxham 1 - 3 Redbridge

Teams:

Wroxham: Hilton (GK), Lewis (Self, 60), Carus (Forshaw, 46), Halliday, Hipperson, A.Eastaugh, Durrant, Harrop, Thompson, Blake (Speller, 55), Gordon.

Unused subs: McNeil, Lemmon

Sent off: Speller, 83

Redbridge: Bowditch (GK), Hayes, Rolls, Ikumelo, Green, Beale, Reed (Roberts, 63), Cleaver, Monger, Martin, Porter.

Unused subs: Gill (GK), Portnay

Att: 122