Redbridge responded to their midweek defeat with a 4-1 win over Sawbridgeworth Town on Saturday in the Essex Senior League Senior Division.

Taylor Tombides started and finished the scoring for the hosts, with Connor Okus and Billy Willis scoring in between to put the Motormen up by four, before Louis Kenny responded with a consolation.

The hosts deservedly took the lead through Tombides when he intercepted a poor defensive pass, looked up and fired past James Askew.

It was soon two for the home side when good play down the right from Petrit Elbi resulted in him playing in a delightful cross, and Okus made no mistake with the finish.

Willis then made it three before the break, catching out Askew with what he thought was a cross, but instead it nestled in the net to tighten Redbridge’s grip on the match.

The hosts’ fourth came later in the second half and it was a second for Tombides, this time slotting home after good work from Elbi and Daniel McCullock.

Sawbridgeworth did find a consolation late on through Kenny, but it did little to trouble the eventual result and Redbridge closed the gap on their opponents to just one point.

Walthamstow kept their promotion hopes alive with a narrow 1-0 win over Tower Hamlets.

Dwade James netted a penalty two minutes from time to extend their unbeaten league run to five games.

Hamlets finished the game with 10 men after they had a player sent off for dissent following the award of the penalty and, although they remain fourth bottom, they are still 13 points clear of the bottom two.

Walthamstow also confirmed this week that winger Samrai Gebrai has landed two trials with full-time professional clubs in two weeks.

Gebrai played and scored in an Under-23s game for Coventry City and has now received an invitation from Premier League side Watford.

Ilford came out on top in their derby against Barkingside at Cricklefield, taking the points with a 2-1 win.

The visitors made the more positive start and took the lead in just the first minute when Craig Jeakins slotted in when Hugo Rosetti made a hash of a goal kick.

That’s how it stayed until half-time, but just past the hour mark Ilford were level when Billy Golledge fired into the top corner.

The hosts then went on to win it six minutes from the end as a free-kick from Lamarr Douglas went in off Harry Matthews.

Ilford, therefore, break into the top ten in the league while Barkingside remain bottom, 11 points behind third-bottom Southend Manor with eight games to go.

West Essex dropped further into the bottom half of the table after a 3-1 away loss at the hands of Clapton.

Brian Kyungu put the hosts ahead in the 17th minute only for Michael Mignot to bring West level.

Valentine Iheanyiogu restored the home side’s lead five minutes before the break and, with only 15 minutes remaining until the end, Giovanni Palmer made the game safe and leaves West Essex 14th in the table.

Leyton Athletic fell to a 2-0 defeat away at Southend Manor but stay off the bottom of the table by virtue of goals scored, having netted six more times than Barkingside.

The result does, though, leave an 11-point gap between themselves and Manor, who will have massively eased their relegation fears with the win.

Kye Jude put the hosts in front after just four minutes and, only two minutes later, Grant Francis doubled the lead to effectively finish the game before it had properly got going.

Leyton, who only had 12 players for the clash, have two games in hand on their opponents, so do still boast a chance of pulling Manor back into the mix, but their form is making it look unlikely.

Finally, Epping Town can win promotion from the Essex Olympian League Senior Division Four next week after a 5-0 win at Shenfield Reserves.

Town will be guaranteed the runners-up spot if they beat Canning Town Reserves and Lakeside Reserves fail to beat Leigh Ramblers Reserves.

Glen Warwick’s brace and a Chris Lockwood strike had Epping 3-0 up the break against Shenfield, before Alex Paraskeva and Liam Clifton netted in the second half.