St Ives 2, Redditch United 1

LUKE Keen’s fourth goal in as many starts was not enough to prevent Redditch United’s six-match unbeaten being brought to a halt.

Keen produced a typical poacher’s finish with 25 minutes to play to halve a two-goal deficit at St Ives but despite finishing with a flourish, Reds paid the price for a sluggish first-half display.

The setback, coupled with fifth-placed Merthyr's victory, saw the Reds fall four points behind the Southern League Premier Division play-off places ahead of Monday's trip to Hitchin.

The visitors were on the back foot from the start with Simeon Cobourne fouling Josh Dawkin in the penalty area but keeper Brad Catlow saved the spot-kick from Jack Higgs low to his left.

However, Redditch did not make the most of that reprieve with hesitant defending from Nat Kelly affording Dawkin enough space to fire the opener low across Catlow after six minutes.

Cobourne’s snap-shot flew narrowly wide at the other end but St Ives remained on the front foot with Catlow called upon to produce a smart double block from a quick-fire pair of Danny Kelly efforts.

Dawkin continued to cause problems and waltzed through three challenges before fluffing his lines in search of a second, while Jordan Jones hit a shot straight at home stopper Tim Trebes for United.

Duane Courtney did well to shackle another Dawkin foray early in the second half but the second arrived on 57 minutes when a scrappy passage of play broke kindly for Danny Kelly to burst into the box and lash across Catlow.

Substitute Dior Angus teed up Keen’s strike, fizzing in a low cross that the ex-Sutton Coldfield Town hitman simply had to tap home and suddenly, Redditch were in the ascendancy.

Keen turned provider, playing in a similar centre that just evaded Danico Johnson and Angus but despite a barrage of late pressure, Reds fashioned few meaningful openings at the death.

Reds: Catlow 6, Jones 5, Kelly 5 (Johnson, 61, 6), Loveridge 6, Courtney 6, Cullinane-Liburd 6, Cobourne 5, Ali 5 (Hales, 55, 6), KEEN 7*, Singh 5, Angus 5. Unused subs: Spink, Brown.