Sutton Coldfield Town 3 Redditch United 1

AFTER the early season promise of an FA Cup run stretching to four ties, Redditch completed a clean sweep of first round exits from their four remaining cup competitions with a limp display at Coles Lane.

A shotshy side - who failed to trouble home keeper Justin Bray at all after the 34th minute - crashed out of the Worcestershire Senior Cup six weeks after the tie was first abandoned with United 1-0 down.

It started brightly for the visitors with Richard Field forcing Bray to palm away after eight minutes before Jimmy Quiggan calmly shot home left footed in the 16th minute after a defence-splitting Alex Cowley pass.

Sutton looked to have levelled eight minutes later when Jamie Russell's exquisite chip appeared to have crossed the line before Richard Anstiss recovered to gather.

But after a wayward Cowley effort and darting Quiggan run, United disappeared.

Jon Howard equalised in the 40th minute, heading Darren Massingham's long looping ball over a stranded Anstiss and on the stroke of half time, the impressive Simon Tucker had his effort deflected over from a yard out after an inviting low cross driven in by Dean Baker.

Reds defender Neil Manton had to deflect a Kevin Jones drive over in the 59th minute and three minutes later Tucker rose unmarked to flick home a free kick, from first half sub Kirk Maragh, on the right.

United boss Rod Brown threw on his three youth team subs - handing Steve Evans and Barry Richards their first appearances of the season - to little effect.

Maragh found Russell in the area and the Sutton captain wriggled free but fired over from eight yards.

Russell made amends with a third in the 69th minute after a Maragh corner caused chaos in the Reds box where there appeared to be a handball before the forward struck and Quentin Townsend could only help it in.

Sutton deserved a fourth when Tucker brought down a Bray clearance and sent Baker free only for the midfielder to blaze over.

Redditch were down to ten men when Field received a belated second yellow six minutes from time after brawling in the first half, and there was still time for Baker and Maragh to go close as United slumped to a fourth successive defeat.