Lowestoft Town 2, Redbridge 0

Lowestoft Town can be crowned league champions on Monday after second-half goals from Neil Plaskett and substitute Joe Francis secured a hard-fought victory.

The Blues will lift the Ryman League Division One North title if they can beat Maldon Town at Crown Meadow on Monday afternoon and Concord Rangers lose at home to third-place East Thurrock United.

However, even if Rangers do not lose, Town will still be champions with two wins in their final six games, and joint boss Ady Gallagher is expecting no favours from his rivals.

'All you can do is concentrate what is in front of you,' he said.

'It was important for us just to think about what was important and that was getting the three points.

'Once you've done that then you've done your job - you can't rely on other people to do you any favours and quite honestly there are too many good sides in this league for that.

'We'll prepare for the Maldon game as we have done every game this season and be determined to pick up three points. If we can do that then obviously it makes things easier for us.

'It's now two wins from our last six and we believe we've got a squad capable of doing that and as long as we stay focused on what we're trying to achieve then no-one else will play their part.'

The Blues win over a negative Redbridge side was never in doubt even though the visitors come close to opening the scoring.

Home keeper Andy Reynolds completely missed his punch to a free-kick but to his relief the ball trickled past the post.

At the other end Motormen stopper James Marrable had a dodgy moment of his own when he mis-kicked and as Gary McGee closed him down, the keeper recovered just enough to boot the ball against the Blues' striker and see the rebound fly over.

Town were trying to play football against a side just content to get men behind the ball and Danny Bloomfield was unlucky to see his brilliant volley flick the top of the bar and fly over from Matty Potter's cross.

The Blues were turning up the heat and McGee was denied by the legs of Marrable from ten yards after he swivelled to shoot six minutes before half-time.

It took until the 63rd minute for the goal the home fans desperately wanted to arrive. Town won a corner after Marrable tipped over a Jamie Godbold header.

From the flag kick, Gary Holt and Matt Halliday were both denied by some last-ditch defending, but the ball fell to right-back Plaskett and he toe-poked home from ten yards out.

There was little response from Redbridge and Town almost added a second with the best move of the match.

Substitute Matt Nolan played the ball forwards, Andrew Fisk back-heeled it into the path of Godbold who ran clean through and the winger was unlucky to see his shot bobble just wide.

Nolan then played in Scott Mitchell but the former Ipswich Town man fired his left-foot shot over.

But any nerves were clamed with four minutes remaining. Godbold lobbed the ball into the path of sub Francis and he lifted it over the on-rushing Marrable. It was the Blues' 99th league goal of the season.

There was still time for Dale Cockrill to clip the bar from a Francis flick, but by then Town had comfortably secured another three points.

t Lowestoft Town: Reynolds, Plaskett, Potter, Dale Cockrill, Holt, Halliday, Godbold (Bussens, 86 mins), Fisk, Bloomfield (Nolan, 57), McGee (Francis, 75), Mitchell. Subs not used: Forshaw, Crane.

t Att: 776

t Ref: Glen Sandell