Shepshed Dynamo 3 Redditch United 2

ROD Brown's influence on United was evident before kick-off with the first team taken through a series of warm-up exercises on the pitch and the squad seemed to have taken the new man's ideas to heart with a fighting performance.

The visitors had to rely heavily on new keeper Martin Lakin in the first half but were full of running and more direct at getting the ball forward.

Nicky Cross' pretty but ineffective passing triangles had disappeared.

But United's lack of fitness and confidence showed in the last quarter when they undermined an encouraging performance by reverting to type and throwing the points away.

The Reds were hamstrung from the off with Kidderminster Harriers pair Daire Doyle and Stuart Hadley turning down a loan move and worse - talisman Paul Danks out with flu.

Former Sheffield United shot-stopper Lakin announced his arrival two minutes in with a good block from Marvin Blake and Andy Bradley blocked a shot from Lee McGlinchey on the rebound.

It was Ian Mitchell who cleared three minutes later after Lakin blocked Richard Tanner's route to goal one-on-one and within seconds Steve Frost fired over at the other end for Redditch.

Lakin was called into action again in the ninth minute, smartly palming away a Blake effort after the Shepshed midfielder evaded three Reds defenders in the area.

Opposite number Damien Quailley made a clean save from Neil Cartwright on 19 minutes before stunning the crowd with an unbelievable stop two minutes later.

Quailley punched an Ian Mitchell centre to Scott Colcombe outside the area and scrambled back impressively to keep Colcombe's attempted lob out, the ball fell to Michael Campbell two yards out with the keeper grounded but Quailley brilliantly managed to get something on the striker's effort to keep it out.

Not to be outdone, Lakin made a superb stop to foil John Turner at the other end after the Dynamo midfielder sprang the offside trap two minutes later.

On the stroke of half time United took the lead after the impressive Colcombe ran on to a defence-splitting Campbell ball to thrash one in across Quailley.

Within three minutes of the restart the hosts were level after good work from Turner on the right.

Frost and Nigel Niblett failed to clear their lines allowing Blake to level close in.

Andy Bradley wasted the chance to restore United's lead five minutes later after Neil Cartwright rode three challenges and Makin pulled off an incredible reaction save in the Reds goal, saving point blank from Andy Commander's downward header after Richard Field conceded a free kick.

Bradley was again the culprit seconds later, firing wastefully wide when Campbell put him in the clear six yards out.

In the 73rd minute United's pressure paid off when Colcombe ran on to a Bradley ball before calmly slipping his marker and lashing one home from the edge of the area.

Within a minute McGlinchey curled one agonisingly high and wide for Shepshed but substitute Steve Cross, ironically finding it easier to get into the team after his dad's departure, missed the easiest of chances to wrap it up.

Fellow sub Nigel Brown picked him out on the goalline ten minutes from time but amazingly he scooped it over the bar when it was easier to score.

Tempers boiled over in the 84th minute when Campbell sparked an ugly set-to before walking off the pitch without waiting for the red card - amazingly referee Mr C Hendry called him back before waving only a yellow card.

But two minutes later the Reds were dealt a cruel blow when an innocuous shot from bearded Shepshed sub Kirk Masters was palmed over his head by Lakin before dropping in.

And worse was to follow with Redditch failing to clear their lines from a corner and Carl Lawrence stabbing it home for an unlikely winner a minute from time.

With United wilting there was even time for Masters to miss another good chance with only Lakin to beat in injury time.