Redditch United 1 Weston-Super-Mare 2

Richard Field's third goal of the season was not enough to prevent Redditch United from slipping to defeat, as Weston-Super-Mare kept the pressure on the leading clubs in the race for promotion.

The two sides had to battle a very strong wind as much as they did each other, and it did not make for attractive football, particularly in a dull first half, in which neither side seriously threatened a goal.

Lee Booth, without a goal since returning to the Valley, and Paul Danks, who hasn't scored since December, might both have done better with first-half chances, although Weston's Justin Pritchard had the best opportunity of the half, blazing over from six yards.

Matty Hall, back in a United shirt at the start of a one-month loan spell from leaders Halesowen Town, saw his fierce, on-target effort deflected wide of the upright.

Almost immediately after the break, the visitors' Frankie Bennett got away from a hesitant United defence before clipping the ball over the diving Neil Olden, but the shot ran a foot outside the right-hand post. Five minutes later, Lee Knight overstretched in making a vital clearance in his own penalty area, and picked up what looked like a back strain, which is likely to see the skipper sidelined for a couple of weeks.

The visitors finally broke the deadlock on sixty-six minutes, Pritchard leaping highest to flick a header into the bottom corner of the goal from a left-wing cross.

Two minutes later, Olden made a fine stop to deny Jody Bevan after the Weston striker easily beat Nigel Niblett.

However, Olden became the villain on seventy-four minutes, gifting a second goal to the Seagulls.

Former West Ham and Glasgow Celtic star Stuart Slater used the wind to good effect, curling a dangerous corner-kick to the far post, where Olden only succeeded in palming the ball straight into his own goal. Within two minutes, Booth's frustration got the better of him, and his swinging elbow caught a Weston defender in the face, in full view of the referee, who inexplicably showed Booth only a yellow card.

With just seconds remaining on the clock, Matt Southwick's deflected shot across goal was pushed wide by the Weston keeper Mark Bryant, and from the resulting corner, Field's accurate glancing header found the top corner of the visitors' goal.

However, it was all in vain as Weston held out for the three minutes of added time caused by Knight's injury.

United will have to wait a bit longer for their first home win of 2002.