MALDON and Tiptree put in an assured display to beat nine-man Brightlingsea Regent 2-0 at Park Drive, writes LEE WITNEY.

Victory for the Jammers left them two points off a Pitching In Isthmian League division north play-off spot against one of their promotion rivals.

Liam Bailey's side started well and a great switch of play from Jayden Gipson to Harry Phillips allowed the Maldon winger to poke the ball through to Yassine El-Neyah who shot just wide with 12 minutes gone.

That bright start was rewarded after 17 minutes as the Jammers took the lead.

A wonderful corner ball from Phillips was only flicked on by a Regent defender into the path of Lewis Jaggs at the back post. who made no mistake to turn the ball home on the line.

Four minutes later, it should have been 2-0; another great switch from Gipson again found Phillips who had the chance to shoot but was dispossessed before he could pull the trigger.

Maldon won the ball back with Smith forcing a smart save from Lewis Greene at his near post.

Things didn’t get any easier for Brightlingsea who were forced into making two substitutions through injury before 25 minutes had been played.

To compound their first-half misery, one of those substitutes, Billy Harris, was shown a straight red card with ten minutes of the first half still to play for a high challenge on Milton Oni.

And five minutes before half-time, Maldon doubled their lead through the returning Egbri.

Cutting inside onto his right foot, he unleashed a shot from all of 25 yards that clipped the post as it nestled into the net.

Oni's long-range effort was comfortable for Greene after Smith picked up his loose clearance while only a magnificent save from Greene to claw away a Phillips free-kick prevented the Jammers from being out of sight.

Maldon were denied a penalty when Greene pulled down El-Neyah in the box but the referee played on but the Jammers went in at half-time ahead and a man to the good.

The second half started in the same way the first had gone with Phillips firing wide after he was put through by Oni.

Three minutes later, Matt Yates had a shot blocked with the rebound falling to Harrison Chatting on the edge of the box.

Chatting cut across the ball and was unfortunate to see a fine effort just skim the crossbar and go over.

With 55 minutes gone, Regent’s Bradley Russell had their first real effort of the afternoon, firing over before being called back for offside.

Brightlingsea’s Derek Asamoah thought he’d halved the deficit with an hour gone, but he too, was denied by the assistant’s flag.

Half chances came and went for the Jammers. Jaggs nearly added a second with 20 to play, but he could connect with a ball that was fizzed across the face of goal.

Substitute Alfie Mason was causing problems with his crosses, one of which resulted in a corner from which Jaggs headed onto the top of the net.

Maldon nearly broke away for a third in the 82nd minute when Shane Temple won possession from a Regent free-kick before teeing up Andre Hassanally, but his shot was pushed wide by Greene.

Brightlingsea's afternoon to forget was rounded off in additional time when Russell was shown two quick yellow cards.