Bromsgrove Rovers 0 Redditch United 0

THE United travelling army did their best to stoke up the derby atmosphere by silencing the home fans in a 740-strong crowd but there was little to shout about in a typically deadlocked derby.

A few weeks ago this could have been a high stakes battle between two sides going for the second promotion spot but the weekend's results confirmed there was nothing to play for but local bragging rights and a draw will keep Redditch at arm's length from the home team.

Tempers frayed at the end as a knot of Reds fans, who had stayed behind the goal despite the best efforts of stewards to move them on, were prevented from leaving early.

But commendably United chairman Neil Pagett was swiftly on the scene along with counterpart Tom Herbert to ensure there was no more than raised voices and finger-wagging as the game petered out into a goalless draw.

The first half saw few chances with Les Palmer's athletic scissors kick charged down by Neil Manton in the ninth minute.

The hosts defended doggedly but neither side looked like breaking the deadlock until Jimmy Quiggan forced a top draw save from Rovers keeper Jim McGettrick in the 21st minute.

Reds skipper Mark Taylor was probably United's mose effective player and picked out Simon Hollis with a slide rule pass which allowed the winger to cut the ball back from the right touchline to Quiggan two yards out only for McGettrick to block impressively at his near post.

If that was close, Redditch should have been a goal up five minutes before the break but manager Rod Brown's decision to hand Marvin Blake his first Reds start backfired when the striker - signed from Rovers on deadline day - horribly screwed his shot wide, unmarked, from close range in the six yard box.

Richard Softley headed a Hollis cross wide on the stroke of half time but it was Rovers' turn to be wasteful after the break when half time sub Kevin Banner pounced on an under-hit Gary Knight back-pass but sent his first time shot agonisingly wide of Richard Anstiss' far post.

Paul Danks, one of three ex-Reds in the Rovers squad, sent a curling free kick wide of Anstiss' near post in the 52nd minute before Quiggan broke the offside trap at the other end only for McGettrick to palm his effort away.

Anstiss was in the right place and stuck out a hand to turn away a James Dyson far post header in the 67th minute and moments later the Rovers defence had to scramble the ball away with McGettrick grounded after missing a cross which Hollis connected with.

The Bromsgrove keeper produced a spectacular one-handed save after appearing to initially misjudge the flight of a rasping 30 yard free kick from Hollis seven minutes from time but former Red Steve Frost almost made himself a hero with a dipping effort late on.

Frost fancied his chances from 25 yards and although Anstiss confidently left it the ball dropped fiercely to fly narrowly over.