Bromsgrove Rovers (0) 0

Redditch United (0) 2

TWO late goals shot down battling Bromsgrove Rovers as derby rivals Redditch United won a fiercely contested local pre-season derby friendly on Saturday at the Victoria Ground.

Rovers matched their rivals from the Conference North for much of the game but their neighbours grabbed two second half goals to take the glory.

The Greens' supporters also welcomed back towering defender Exodus Geohaghan, who has joined Redditch United since leaving Rovers during the summer.

The game started like a typical local derby with no team giving any quarter.

Redditch were the first to show their attacking intentions. Goalkeeper Dean Coleman could only parry Simon Hollis's fierce shot and James Foxton bundled the ball into the net, only to see it ruled out for offside after seven minutes.

Hollis then beat Rovers' offside trap in the 27th minute. He held off a challenge from Chris McHale, waltzed around Coleman but dallied on the ball and allowed Paul Carty to clear the ball away.

Daire Doyle fired wide from the edge of the area in the 32nd minute. Carty took a quick free-kick to Kevin Banner, but his first time cross was missed by Simon Rea and Nathan Lamey's shot on the turn rolled past Richard Anstiss's left hand upright after 40 minutes.

Richard Burgess created a chance for himself, but his shot cleared the crossbar in the 48th minute.

Anstiss was called into action to keep the scores level when Lamey crossed from the left and Erraji arrived at the far post but saw his effort blocked. Francis latched on to the loose ball but Redditch's goalkeeper managed to block his effort with the help of Rea on the line.

Redditch took the lead against the run of play when Rob Taylor's free- kick from the right was met by substitute Jamie Knott and he prodded the ball past Coleman.

The goal knocked the stuffing out of Bromsgrove and Redditch pressed home their advantage.

They were rewarded with a second goal in the 83rd minute when Carl Palmer curled the ball past Coleman and into the net just inside the left upright from 25-yards out.

Rovers: Coleman, Carty, McHale, Taylor, Heeley, Doyle, Lloyd, Dyer, Lamey, Burgess, Banner. Substitutes: Williams, Benbow, McDonald, Smith, Erraji, Francis.

Referee: Mr A. Dennis (Worcestershire).

By Steve Riddick