Hereford United 1, Redditch United 2

Ten-man Redditch took the spoils at the end of an incident-packed game at Edgar Street.

In control for the opening hour, a red card for Reds defender Jim Mutton threatened to derail the visitors until supersub Jamie Spencer came off the bench to bag the winner and make it five straight wins.

The visitors started the better and went close twice in a minute early on.

Hereford’s Abou Baker-Kone needed to clear off the line on nine minutes after his keeper Luke Williams had dropped a corner.

Seconds later, from the resulting flag kick, Jermaine Hylton pounced on a loose ball 20 yards out but his shot hit the upright.

Samuel Akinde put an effort over the Reds target soon after as they tried to find a way through a well-drilled visitors’ defence.

Hylton hit the opener on 24 minutes, the striker collecting a short pass from Ashley Sammons before taking the ball around keeper Williams to score.

Hylton then set-up Sammons just before the break but his effort from the edge of the area flew wide of the Hereford goal.

After the sides traded shots at the start of the second half, the game burst into life on the hour.

Visiting keeper Sam Hornby did well to keep out an Akinde effort with his legs before Sammons was denied by a good Williams save at the other end.

On 63 minutes Molyneux rose highest at a corner only for his header to be cleared off the line by Leandro Browne.

And then, seconds later, a challenge in the centre circle by Redditch’s Mutton on Salvador Ramirez was deemed dangerous by referee Adam Matthews and the United defender was sent off.

With no other defender on the bench, it was left to Simeon Maye to slot into the back four.

But the new-look defence was undone just moments later when a cross from Bulls substitute Steve Vetier was chested down and Obi Oneyeike fired into the bottom right-hand corner.

The arrival of Spencer appeared to lift the visitors and nine minutes after coming off the bench he had bagged the winner.

A quick break upfield saw Loveridge and Carline combine with the latter squaring to the unmarked Spencer to side-footed home.

Reds: Hornby 7, Jones 6, Flanagan 7, Loveridge 7, Mutton 4, Scarr 6, Spink 5 (Oshungbure 7, 6 (Maye 56, 6) SAMMONS 8, Molyneux 7, Carline 7, Hylton 7 (Spencer 71). Subs (not used): Catlow, Ahenkorah