Friday, May 18th, 2012
The Reds made it six out of six in pre-season with an emphatic victory over neighbours Bromsgrove.
It took three goals in six minutes early in the second half to wrap things up but the game would have been won before the break had chances been taken.
Young striker JOE HARRIS handed Redditch the perfect start with a goal inside two minutes, forcing a teasing Phil Green cross home from two yards.
Cameron Jones and Alex Hickman missed glorious chances to extend the lead while Lei Brown was denied by the feet of Sporting keeper Grant Biddle.
The visitors had struggled to find a way through the United defence but, four minutes before half-time, tricky right-back Danny Lismore was tripped inside the area and skipper JAMIE ROGERS levelled from the spot.
Reds Star Man - Simon Fitter
It looked like being another half of missed chances for the home side after the break when Brown dragged an effort across goal and Harris headed over the target from two yards.
But the second goal finally came on 55 minutes. Simon Fitter, outstanding at the heart of the Redditch midfield, sent Jones free down the right who then picked out BROWN to rifle home from 12 yards.
Striker DAVID BLENKINSOPP calmly added a third on 58 minutes, latching on to a through ball before lifting his shot over the advancing keeper.
Lismore was proving Bromsgrove’s dangerman and he forced Dean Coleman into a smart save before substitute JOE ADAMS netted a wonderful 25-yard effort on the hour to complete the scoring for the Reds.
There would have been more had Biddle not produced a string of outstanding saves in the closing stages – a double stop to deny Craig Milligan and Elliot Nash, a brilliant fingertip effort to deny Josh Quaynor and a stunning effort that somehow kept Nash’s diving header out of the net.
Reds Star Man: Simon Fitter.
(Match report courtesy of David Lawrence – Write Angle Media)
