Soham Town Rangers’ relgation battle looks set to rage on after they fell 2-1 to fellow strugglers Redbridge on Saturday.
Robbie Nightingale and David Theobald’s men are without an away win all season after their most recent defeat, and the Greens remain in serious trouble following their narrow loss to relegation cadidates Redbridge.
With five players unavailable, the Greens made four changes to the side that suffered an injury time defeat at home to Thurrock during the week as Harry Reynolds, Jordan Baker, George Darling and James McCabe returned to the starting eleven.
The first half was evenly contested, with the play regularly switching ends, although clear opportunities in either goalmouth were limited as Pat Bexfield had an early attempt from distance but placed straight at Redbridge’s Mark Parker before William Drake put over from the left of the area.
As the half progressed, Simon Swinton dipped a shot over the bar, Paulius Ditkevius and Riges Kabashi fired wide, Ben Sawyer and George Darling had efforts at Parker whilst Harry Reynolds came out of his area to deny the advancing Harry Prince with a well-timed tackle just before the break.
There were more chances after the interval with Reynolds tipping Knight’s shot over the bar after he had received the ball towards the edge of the area.
The play quickly switched to the other end of the field with Sawyer having three good opportunities to break the deadlock only to fire wide from distance from Darling’s layoff eight minutes after the restart.
Moments later, the striker managed to get into the area down the right, however with just Parker to beat put wide of the near post, before heading wide from Marcus Hall’s ball back across the area.
It was Redbridge though that opened the scoring just after the hour mark when the hosts were awarded a penalty after Ryan Sharman fouled Joe Gent inside the area, with Jay Knight sending Reynolds the wrong way from the spot.
Swinton had a couple of chances to level in the following ten minutes but placed narrowly wide from Sawyer’s ball before having another shot deflected behind, with Sharman heading over from the resultant corner.
However, slightly against the run of play, Redbridge doubled their lead in the 72nd minute as William Drake received a left sided ball to hook it over Reynolds and under the bar.
Three minutes later, the Greens pulled a goal back when the incoming Ryan Sharman met Callum Russell’s long throw into the area heading home and the near post.
Any chance of a comeback was dented in the 78th minute when Knight received a right sided pass outside the area to place his shot across Reynolds and in at the far post for his second of the afternoon and Redbridge’s third.
The Greens continued to push forward in the final ten minutes as Russell fired across goal, before Gent had a headed deflected onto the bar, with the defender and Sharman also coming close with other headers.
Late into stoppage time, Parker made a low save on his line to keep out Sharman from another Russell throw, with Reynolds pushing Faponle’s low shot wide with the last opportunity of the game.
The Greens remain in a precarious position in the Ryman League Division North Table, sitting 21st and only four points above bottom side Haringey Borough, and they face a must-win game away against Waltham Abbey tomorrow night,
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