Takeley Stuns Redbridge at Oakside, Igniting Survival Hopes and Shaking Up the Isthmian North

On a crisp October evening at Oakside Stadium, the established order of the Isthmian North was upended in dramatic fashion as Takeley—mired in last place, shadowed by recent thrashings—rose from their struggles to deliver a 2-1 victory over promotion-chasing Redbridge. For a side written off by many, the result was as improbable as it was vital, carving a rare bright line through a gloomy campaign and sending ripples through the upper reaches of the table.

Redbridge arrived for this encounter with the quiet confidence of a team in form, having climbed to fourth on the back of an undefeated five-match run that included a dominant 3-1 win at Tilbury and a 4-0 dismantling of Walthamstow. Their defense, priding itself on clean sheets, had not conceded at home since early September. Takeley, by contrast, were enduring a fraught autumn—second-from-bottom, battered 6-1 by Mildenhall Town, and desperate for any foothold in a season slipping away.

Yet football’s greatest lure is its refusal to obey the script.

From the opening whistle, Redbridge pressed their case, flooding forward in numbers. Midway through the first half, their enterprise was rewarded. A slick passing move unfolded down the left: winger Nathaniel Clarke’s pinpoint delivery found striker Liam Gordon ghosting into space, and the No. 9 swept home from 10 yards, drawing jubilant cheers from the home faithful. With the deadlock broken, the match threatened to become another routine chapter in Redbridge’s promotion push.

Instead, Takeley responded with uncommon resolve. Undaunted by recent setbacks—including a 2-0 defeat at home to these same opponents just four weeks prior—manager Andrew Richardson’s men found urgency. Captain and midfielder Elliott Marsh, returning after a spell out, anchored the visitors’ engine room. Gradually, Takeley gained a foothold, breaking up play and sensing the hosts’ growing complacency.

Moments before halftime came the turning point. Winning a free kick near the edge of the area, Takeley’s playmaker Bradley Clark lined up, curled his effort over the wall, and watched as it dipped beyond the fingertips of Redbridge goalkeeper Jack Wood—a thunderclap leveller that left Oakside momentarily hushed. The equalizer was, by any measure, against the run of play, but it ignited belief in the visitors and sowed seeds of anxiety among the home side.

The second half unfolded with all the tension of a cup tie. Redbridge, stung by the concession, ramped up the intensity, but their attacks grew ragged. Takeley, meanwhile, dug in, marshaling their back line with discipline and waiting for their moment. It arrived in the 73rd minute, through a sequence that laid bare both the promise and peril of Redbridge’s attacking posture.

A Redbridge corner was cleared long, setting Takeley’s rapid striker Jordan Kerry clear on the counter. Kerry, scarcely onside, surged into space, shrugged off the last defender, and finished low past Wood. The away bench erupted. For the first time in weeks, Takeley led with time ticking away.

The closing period brought desperation from Redbridge—crosses rained in, substitute forwards were introduced, and one header thudded against the bar. Takeley, disciplined and occasionally frantic, rode their luck, aided by a vital late save from goalkeeper Reggie Hall to deny Clarke’s ferocious volley. When the final whistle sounded, the cheers from the visiting contingent echoed into the Essex night, a tonic after too many long journeys home in silence.

For Redbridge, defeat cuts deeply, not least because of the stakes. Three points would have drawn them closer to the division’s summit, capitalizing on their sparkling recent form and reasserting dominance over an opponent they had beaten 2-0 less than a month ago. Instead, they remain in fourth on 20 points from 11 matches—still well-positioned, but now glancing over their shoulders as the chasing pack senses opportunity.

Takeley, conversely, will savor this as the night their season found a pulse. With only two wins before this match, the three points lift them to 8 from 11 matches—still rooted to the lower rungs, but suddenly within sight of safety. The psychological value surpasses the arithmetic: a group that had lost its way summoned the resolve to topple a top-four contender away from home.

Lingering tempers flared late, with Redbridge’s Andy Hope shown a yellow for dissent, but discipline otherwise held. There were no red cards—only the sense that, in the non-league trenches, fortunes can turn on the briefest of moments.

As October deepens, both sides face pivotal weeks ahead. Redbridge must regroup, rediscovering the focus that underpinned their early rise. Takeley, emboldened by this statement win, have given themselves permission to believe—survival, once remote, is now a possibility. In the unpredictable grind of the Isthmian North, tonight proved once more that nothing is settled before the final whistle.