CLIFF AKURANG suffered his first defeat as manager of Heybridge yesterday in their 2-1 loss away to Redbridge.
Reece Morgan gave the Swifts the lead just before half-time but that was cancelled out almost immediately through Patrick Damali after a fortuitous deflection looped in over Danny Sambridge.
The game had evened out in the second half but it was the home side who got the winner when substitute Brian Moses cut through the defence to finish confidently.
Redbridge put their visitors under immediate pressure from the off and could have been 2-0 up inside five minutes when firstly Hulusi Mustafa cut back from the byline only for Sambridge to palm away.
Then minutes later left-back George Winn found space in the box to shoot but his shot was blocked before Chinedu McKenzie was found at the back post but opted to take a touch instead of taking it on first time, allowing the Heybridge defence to close him down.
Swifts were struggling to cope with the quick tempo their hosts had set from the off and on 15 minutes Redbridge countered again as McKenzie whipped in an early ball into the box that was just inches away from the head of Jacob Cleaver.
Redbridge's early pressure soon wore off as the half went on allowing the away side a chance into the game and on 44 minutes they took it.
Joe Pearman timed his pass to Morgan with perfection whose run into the box caught Redbridge asleep however his shot looked a comfortable save at the near post but somehow it crept in to give Heybridge the lead.
With just minutes to go until half-time Akurang would have been relieved to have got his team in at half-time 1-0 up but that all changed with second to go in the half.
Damali picked up the ball roughly 40 yards out from goal and unleashed an audacious strike at goal but a deflection off Moshood Olafunmishe caught Sambridge as the ball looped in over his head to end the half 1-1.
Redbridge came out in the second half much like they started the first, on the front foot, and on the 48th minute had a great chance to take the lead when Shane Wallace had time in the box to shoot but Sambridge did well to save with his feet.
As the half went on the game became more stretched which seemed to suit Heybridge and their best chance to take the lead again came on the 55th minute when Morgan lead a counter attack that saw four versus three in Swift's favour but his pass to Billy Hunt sent him wide and his shot could only find the side netting.
Stoppages in the game due to injuries slowed the game down in the twenty minutes but on the 85th minute substitute Brian Moses gave Redbridge all three points.
The tall forward was an immediate threat coming on in the 75th minute and when McKenzie played him through his pace took him past the tackle of Emmanuel Monthe and showed composure to finish confidently.
Heybridge Swifts line-up: Sambridge, Willmore, Spriggs, Gayle, Olafunmishe, Monthe, Pearman, White (Henry-Francis 71), Bryan, Morgan, Hunt.
Unused subs: Lowton, Good, Preston, Loveridge.