REDDITCH United are down to their bare bones after two more players exited Valley Stadium this week.

Defenders Matty Gardiner and Andy Penny have both parted company with United as they search for regular first team action. Meanwhile, Asa Charlton, Gary Knight and Sean Flynn were all battling to get back to full fitness as the Reds travelled to Bedworth United last night.

Reds boss Rod Brown has his eye on Kidderminster Harriers defender Steve Burton as an immediate replacement.

Burton has played 14 times for Harriers this season after joining from Hull at the end of the last term.

Brown said: "Hinckley United have put in a seven-day approach to sign Andy Penny and that's really because he's been disappointed this season.

"He wants to play like anyone else would but Gary Knight, Asa Charlton and Matty Clarke have just been superb this season and he can't get in the team.

"The same goes for Matt (Gardiner) - they are both at the age where they want to be playing regular football and they just haven't been getting in the team."

Saturday saw a changed Reds fight for a point against Lancaster. Richard Softley and Danny Scheppel were called in to play at the back and Brown was pleased with the results.

He said: "I thought we should have got three points on Saturday, I felt before the game with the team we had to put out we started playing really solidly in the last third and the three points were definitely up for grabs.

"Lancsater couldn't get in the game and Dean Coleman only really had one save to make because of the defensive work put in by Danny Scheppel and Richard Softley.

"Having said that though we're still unbeaten this year and we need to keep that going for as long as we can."

Brown revealled that he had just 11 fully fit players to utilise for the clash with Bedworth last night but had one eye on Saturday's league encounter with Hucknall Town.

He said: "The problem I've got is that there is only 11 fit players in the squad at the moment and to be honest we probably could do without the Bedworth game to give the lads a bit of a rest.

"Saturday is another big game with Hucknall Town coming to us but we'll get through it."

Flynn and Fraser McHugh could also be a doubt for Saturday.