Ryman North: Sudbury 5 Redbridge 1

Struggling Redbridge ended up well beaten by leaders Sudbury in their top versus bottom clash in Suffolk.

Luke Callander hit a hat-trick for the home side, who remain 12 points clear at the summit, as Motormen suffered a sixth successive loss and were left three points adrift of neighbours Barkingside at the bottom of the pile.

The visitors arrived at the Kings Marsh Stadium on the back of a 6-1 home defeat to Romford a week earlier and came under early pressure, but Callum Chafer denied Callander and Joe Maybanks, before Jack Wilkinson fired over.

Stephen Good headed over for Redbridge on 12 minutes, before Callander stretched to nod over at the other end and Chafer tipped away a strong shot from Ollie Berquez.

Hussain Jaffa headed over at the far post for Motormen on 27 minutes, but the chances kept coming for the hosts as Craig Parker lifted the ball over and Berquez fired high and wide.

Motormen held out until the 42nd minute when Jack Newman’s cross from the right found the head of Callander to beat Chafer.

But Sudbury’s joy was shortlived as the visitors hit back to level on the stroke of half time through in-form Charlie Portway, who swept a low shot past Marcus Garnham from Joe Gent’s cross.

Redbridge were reduced to 10 men early in the second half, though, when Billy Drake was shown a straight red card following an off-the-ball clash with Ryan Henshaw, who had to be replaced.

And Sudbury regained the lead just two minutes later as Sam Clarke took a pass from Callander and fired past the helpless Chafer.

It was 3-1 after just two more minutes after a Redbridge player handled the ball in the area and Callender fired the spot-kick straight down the middle.

And Callander then saw his low drilled cross from the left deflected off Good and past Chafer for the home side’s fourth goal.

Sudbury kept on pushing, with Clarke hitting the crossbar and Maybanks twice thwarted by Chafer, and a fifth goal arrived when the young keeper brought down Clarke and Callander converted his second penalty of the afternoon to complete his treble.

There could have been more goals in the closing stages, but Motormen avoided further misery ahead of their Essex Senior Cup quarter-final tie with Tilbury at Oakside on Tuesday.

Redbridge: Chafer, Sackey (Odutola 62), Jaffa, Burgess, Good, Belindir, Gent, Brown (Bavanglia 59), Portway, Drake, Coxi Sebastfao. Unused subs: Cornelius, Eaton.