Kings Langley 1 Redditch United 2

PERSISTENCE was the buzzword as Redditch United ended their three-match losing streak with victory at Kings Langley.

United edged a tepid first half with Jazz Luckie’s looping header and a close-range effort from Nat Kelly worrying the hosts during the opening half an hour.

The Reds might have taken the lead in spectacular fashion 11 minutes before the interval when Liam Spink’s dash into the box teed up Danico Johnson to swivel and volley but his effort flashed just wide.

The visitors were nearly caught out on the stroke of half-time when Sean Coughlin headed narrowly wide but they soon upped the ante again after the restart.

Johnson found Eli Bako in space but in-form keeper Xavi Comas pushed the effort away.

From the corner that followed, Clayton McDonald had a header cleared off the line and then Spink’s bobbling effort hit the post on 55 minutes.

The deadlock was finally broken just past the hour when Spink set up Johnson to outmuscle his marker and while Comas saved his effort and Luckie’s follow up, Bako was on hand to scramble home.

Controversy struck with 20 minutes to play when Comas rushed out and clipped Johnson who was clean through on goal.

After three minutes of debating the incident, the match officials decided it had taken place just outside the penalty area but Comas was given a straight red card.

Undeterred by the delay, Reece Hales coolly stepped up and bent the free-kick around the wall to all but seal the points for Redditch.

The match appeared to be petering out until the clock struck 90 and a kind ricochet landed for Coughlin to draw out Reds keeper Brad Catlow and gift Lewis Toomey with the easiest goal of his career.

However, the five minutes of added time passed without incident and Redditch secured a much-needed victory.

Reds: Catlow 7, F Hazell 4 (Apostolopoulous, 20, 6), Kelly 6, Spink 7, McDonald 6, COURTNEY 8*, Bako 7, Hewitt 7, Luckie 6 (Taylor, 71), Johnson 7, Hales 7 (McDermott, 82).