Oxford City 1 Redbridge 2

When you're carrying a dodgy bad back and pumped full of painkillers, the last thing you need is a damp night in the stands watching a football game, but I have to say I'd forgotten all about it by the time extra time kicked off.

Whichever team won this one was going to make a little history and in the end it was Redbridge who came back from a goal down - Ben Bradbury scoring the winner. An ecstatic Bradbury gushed:

"This is the proudest day of my life. To go one-nil down, come back and then win it in extra time is unbelievable."

Talking to a couple of their lads after the game, it turns out that the FA Cup and FA Trophy runs they have been involved in this year have (or will) net them in the region of £100,000 - a sum that many lower league full time outfits would be more than happy with.

The excitement in the Redbridge camp last night as they prepared for the long coach trip home was there for all to see and manager Terry Spillane summed it up when he said:

"It's dream time. I'm elated and delighted. Everyone thought we'd blown it when we drew at home, but we love being underdogs because basically that's what we are."

Well, if he likes being the underdog, Spillane should enjoy the next FA Cup game then. Redbridge now travel to moneybags and League Two promotion favourites Crawley Town in the second round and, while it would appear to be a tonking waiting to happen on paper, they do have nothing to lose and so I wish them well.


As regular readers will know, I cover a decent number of games at the Kassam watching Oxford United during a season and it struck me that - if they have a couple of quid spare - the non-travelling Us fans could do worse than nip along to watch Oxford City for their football fix.

City have a nice set up, a friendly staff and a former United legend in Mike Ford managing the team. Oh, and the facilities are new and being developed all of the time.

The quality of the football is obviously well below the level of League Two and while Ford was non too impressed with last night's performance, the desire, passion and support is definitely there - albeit on a smaller scale.

Despite being obviously annoyed, Ford said:

"I have no complaints. On the night they were the better team and good luck to them against Crawley."

I don't get along to many non-league clubs these days unless they are involved in the FA Cup as these two were last night, but I've made a note to pop along to watch City the next time I get a day off.

My clipping from this morning's paper