FA Cup Preview: Redbridge v Waltham Forest

Waltham Forest start their FA Cup adventure for another season this Saturday as they travel to Oakside for a local derby against Redbridge.

It will be the first meeting between the two sides since the 2013-14 season, when both sides were in Division 1 North of the Ryman League. In the two meetings that season, Redbridge ran out 1-0 and 2-1 winners.

Redbridge have quite some pedigree in the FA Cup. In 2011-12 they made the second round proper, before eventually losing to Crawley Town. As Ford United, they made the first round proper in both the 1998-9 (as an Isthmian Division Three side) and 2003-4 seasons.

However, since their exploits in 2011, they’ve failed to win a single FA Cup tie, losing to Dunstable, Burnham Ramblers, AFC Sudbury and Heybridge Swifts.

Forest haven’t fared much better recently, having lost at the first attempt in the last three seasons against Aveley, Hoddesdon Town and St Margaretsbury – so someone will have to break their duck come Saturday.

While Forest hammered Basildon United 5-0 on the opening day of the league season, Redbridge went down 4-0 to Barking, with a much-changed team to the one that got relegated last season.

Our record with Redbridge is fairly even. In 17 matches we have won five, lost eight and drawn four.

In 2012-13 both meetings ended in 1-0 wins to Forest, while the season before, Redbridge won the respective matches 7-2 and 4-1.

There was also, of course, the 3-0 Forest victory in 2007 when Andrew Thomas fired in a hattrick of penalties.

You can follow the game live on Twitter by following @walthamforestfc.