Kettering Town 0, Redditch United 0

Redditch chalked up their first point of the new campaign with this draw at Kettering - a game that saw manager Liam McDonald give debuts to two players.

And while former Worcester and Stourbridge defender Kyle Haynes had a steady game at right-back, it was keeper Stuart Parsons who was one of the stand-out performers.

The Reds started brightly with Troy Baker firing over on five minutes before Luke Shearer struck the crossbar with a 15-yard effort three minutes later.

The best early effort from Kettering came soon afterwards when Jevani Brown beat the offside trap only to be denied by an excellent one-handed Parsons save.

The impressive Saul Williams then put a chance wide of the United target before the visitors finished the half the better.

Home keeper Jamie McAlindon escaped with just a yellow card after bringing down Shearer outside the area before George Carline and Jim Mutton failed to hit the target just before the break.

It was a similar tale in the second period, Baker firing one over the crossbar for Redditch before some slick play saw Jamie Ashmore and Carline combine to put Shearer in on goal only for the striker to miscue and the ball roll to the keeper.

McDonald sent on substitutes Jordan Archer, Robbie Bunn and Jamie Molyneux in a bid to break the deadlock while Kettering struggled to find a way past Will Richards at the heart of the United defence.

The home side nearly snatched victory in injury time when, with the Reds back-four appealing for offside, Williams waltzed through only to place his shot wide with just keeper Parsons to beat.

Reds: Parsons 8, Haynes 7, Ashmore 6, RICHARDS 8, Mutton 7, Flanagan 7, Baker 7 (Archer 61, 5), Spink 7 (Bunn 73), Shearer 6 (Molyneux 73), Osborne 7, Carline 6. Subs (not used): Liburd-Culinane, Moreton