Essex Senior League
Oakside Stadium, Barkingside
Admission: £5.00
Programme: £2.00
Attendance: 106
Match Rating: 3
Today the Essex Senior League were holding their first ever groundhop event, organising three matches with staggered kick-off times to enable groundhopping to attend all three if they so desired. I was undecided as to whether to take on this groundhop, as I had already visited all possible grounds previously, and I recalled all of them being rather bleak venues. It was also a shame that the league organised such a tight schedule to make it extremely tight to get between the nominated venues in time for the respective kick-offs. However, as it had been at least ten years since I last visited the venue’s, I did want to support the League’s initiative, and it was a refreshing change that I could attend a groundhop event without having to drive hundreds of miles, and so I decided to head to East London for a bumper feast of football.
Oakside Stadium is located adjacent to Barkingside tube station, although it is necessary to walk around and over a flyover to reach the ground. Spectators enter via a brick turnstile block behind one of the goals, and immediately inside, there is a large, modern and recently renovated clubhouse. To the side is a tea bar window. The rest of the ground seems to have been barely touched since my last visit, indeed has decayed quite considerably, and it treads a fine line between having rustic charm and being something of a dump. Better this than a sterile, boring new build, it must be said. Behind the goal closest to the entrance, there are a couple of steps of terracing, with a flat area above, making for quite a good, elevated place to watch the game from. Along one length, there is a rather rudimentary stand with a scaffold roof, with rows of individual seating. Either side, there is further uncovered elevated standing. Along the other length, there is cover along most of the length, although some of it is looking rather precarious and a section has lost its cover. Behind the remaining goal, there is just uncovered standing. Unfortunately the place does look very messy in lots of places, with rubbish or work materials scattered around or piled up, and the walkways often uneven or with weeds prevalent. The 28 page programme was certainly on the steep side for a Step 5 club, but it was of good quality, in full colour, with some interesting reading material and the necessary stats and facts, attractively presented.
As recently as 2005, Redbridge were members of the Conference South, but this is their second season in the Essex Senior League, finishing 14th last season. They are in a reasonable position to challenge for promotion this season, coming into this game in 5th place, following 11 wins and a draw from their 15 league games, and were four points adrift of the leaders with a game in hand. Burnham Ramblers, in their third season back in the Essex Senior League following a brief two season stay in the Isthmian League, were in 17th place in the 21 team division, following four wins and a draw from their 14 league games. They came into this game in bad form though, losing their last five league and cup games.
On an overcast early afternoon, Redbridge made the early running, with a Vinny Murphy free-kick forcing a finger tip save from the keeper on four minutes. But on 9 minutes, they did take the lead. The ball was curled in deep from the right wing by Courtney Homans, and Brian Moses guided the ball with a faint header beyond the keeper's dive and inside the far post. Slowly the visitors came back into the game, looking tight and denying Redbridge time and space to play, and although Redbridge still managed to create a couple more good chances, it was the visitors who scored to equalise a minute before the break. Bradley Morgan curled in a great cross from just outside the outer corner of the penalty area, and Fraser Inns headed the ball across the keeper and into the net.
It was quite a surprise that the scores were level at the break, but Redbridge really upped a gear after the break, having a goal ruled out for offside within a minute of the restart and coming agonisingly close to scoring on several occasions, before they finally did retake the lead on 63 minutes, when Moses headed a corner home from close range. Burnham had a rare sight of goal on 71 minutes when a goalbound shot hit a defender's leg, but on 84 minutes, Redbridge finally made sure of the three points. Jacob Dingli challenged the keeper for the ball on the ground, the ball spilt away and Dingli just managed to poke the ball out to the feet of Tommie Turner, who struck the ball home. The visiting keeper then made a string of fabulous saves and blocks to keep the scoreline respectable, but Redbridge deservedly claimed the three points which saw them rise to third in the table, and now just a point behind leaders Basildon United, who lost at home today.
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