Despite a battling effort the first team went down to a hard felt defeat at home to Ashford Town in a feisty encounter last night, writes Gary Brigden
Nemo Adams put us 1-0 with a header before Ashford levelled with a free kick.
We retook the lead through Phil Page before a penalty saw Ashford level, and after Page was dismissed Ashford scored twice in the last 15 minutes to take the win.
The first team let a two goal lead slip away at Redhill, when they had to settle for a share of the points in a 2-2 draw on a sunny Saturday, writes Gary Brigden
It was a much changed Redhill side from the ones we had played earlier in the season, and the hosts started brightly with Samuel Marks & Kery Kedze linking up in the opening minute only to see Kedze fire wide. A minute later and a decent ball from Alex Rose to Marks ended with a combination of Dave Burton and debutant Ben Ewing clearing the danger. Sam Freeman then made a tremendous double save from Aaron Murphy, and then the follow up from Marks, as the hosts pushed for the opening goal.
We were slowly getting into the game, and after a neat spell of possession football involving Danny Fernandez, Richie Monan and Matt Robinson, the ball was played into Francois Gabbidon, who in turn set up Hamilton Antonio, but his low shot was well saved down to his left by Jindrich Volkaty in the Redhill goal.
SCR struck the opening goal on 19 minutes, Fernandez did well on the left hand side and forced a corner, from Richie Smiths delivery, skipper Nemo Adams powered a header beyond Volkaty for 1-0. A minute later and it was even better for SCR as Smith released Gabbidon, and he, ignoring the appeals for offside (wrong end, but several comments suggest he was), fired home low to Volkaty's left for 2-0.
Ewing deflected a Harry Stow shot behind for a corner, as Redhill looked to respond immediately, and Freeman did well to come into a crowd to clear. Redhill went close to pulling one back on 29 minutes, when a free kick by Rose, following a foul by Ewing, deceived everyone and hit the far post with SCR grateful to Aaron Bogle for clearing off the line.
At this stage the game was quite "bitty" with neither side able to retain possession and all to often passes were going astray, or straight to the opponents. Ten minutes from half time and neat link up by Bogle and Smith almost set Matt Robinson away, but his powerful run into the Redhill area was bought to an end by a tremendous challenge by Reece Brewster. Kedze and Rose combined minutes later to set up Marlon Pinder but his shot bought a great block out of Burton.
We almost gifted Redhill a goal five minutes before the break, Ewing slipped in making a backpass to Freeman, his clearance only went to Murphy, but from distance his effort was curled just over the crossbar.
Murphy and Marks then combined to set up a chance for Marks, but his effort was horribly off target, and just about made it out for a goal kick. Half time came with SCR 2-0 to the good.
Starting the second half SCR were left with the stick or twist dilemma, push on for a third goal and kill the game, or just do the right things and see out the game. As it turned out, they didn't have a say in the matter, as Redhill dominated much of the second half and can consider themselves extremely unfortunate not to pick up all three points.
Burton blocked a Marks effort behind for a corner early in the half, and Monan was forced into scrambling the ball clear as Redhill again opened brightly. Pinder fired over a low cross five minutes into the half, which Adams turned behind for a corner, just squeezing it wide of the post.
We were under a lot of pressure in the half, and aside from a great challenge by Luke Jones on a rampaging Gabbidon it was all Redhill, with Burton, Adams and Monan all making timely interceptions in and around our area. On 55 minutes a run by Marks was ended by a well timed Burton challenge, with Adams and Monan again on hand to finish off the clearance.
SCR almost made it 3-0 on 57 minutes, a huge clearance by Freeman has Jay Conroy in all sorts of trouble, but as Smith took advantage, and got beyond Volkaty, Conroy redeemed himself with an excellent clearance for a throw in. From this, a curled Robinson effort deflected wide for a corner, and the Fernandez delivery should have seen Burton or Adams head home but the chance was directed wide.
Gabbidon then went close again as SCR enjoyed their best spell of the half, with Conroy clearing his effort off the line, after he had rounded Volkaty. The game started to get quite fractious, with Bogle and Kedze squaring up after a poor challenge by Kedze, then on 65 minutes Fernandez clattered Qudos Bolagi, earning himself a yellow card. After the card, he was replaced (a planned change anyway), with Bryan Harrison coming on for his debut.
Freeman pushed a dangerous corner that was dipping in under the crossbar clear as Redhill started to put us under more pressure. With just over 20 minutes remaining, SCR had a chance to kill the game off, Smith released debutant Harrison on the left, but he dragged his effort just wide of the right hand post. It was a chance SCR were to rue missing.
Freeman saved well diving away to his left from a Marks strike and with fifteen minutes remaining Redhill were back in the game, when a ball down our left found the Pinder, and left one on one with Freeman he fired home.
Murphy fired over a minute later and Redhill looked to have equalised on 78 minutes. Freeman saved well from Kedze, and from the follow up cross to the back post Pinder fired home. It was a goal, no denying it from my position, clearly inside the post however, the linesman had spotted something, and after consultation with the referee a goal kick was awarded (I never thought things like that evened themselves out - our over the line goal against Villa - but maybe they do).
Antonio almost set up White, but he was denied by a great challenge by Stow, and with just over five minutes remaining, Bogle found his way into the book for persistent infringement. Scores were level with four minutes remaining, when a tremendous strike by Aaron Murphy beat Freeman to his left. Redhill continued to push for a winner, and Kedze fired wide right as time ran out.
Was it a point gained or two lost, I have to be honest I still haven't figured that out. At 2-0 at half-time you could say two points dropped, but with the controversial disallowing of the goal, and the onslaught we survived late on, maybe one gained.
Will Redhill survive, potentially although they may have left themselves with too much to do. One thing for sure, the side they have at the moment is not a relegation team, they have ability, heart and don't give up. They will definitely pick up more points come season end.