Redditch United 0, Biggleswade Town 2

All that early season promise of a new Redditch manager building an exciting new side fit to play on the club’s state of the art pitch looks to be fading week by week.

From sitting in or around the play-off places, the Reds are now down in mid-table – and could be as low as 15th if those around them win their games in hand.

Last week’s 8-1 mauling at Frome Town – a side beaten at the Valley Stadium earlier in the season – prompted another player clearout and the arrival of new faces including the return of fans’ favourite Jim Mutton to bolster the defence.

But it still wasn’t enough as boss Darren Byfield saw his side lose to mid-table rivals Biggleswade, the latest in a string of disappointing results that that have seen the Reds pick up just one win in eight games.

United may have had the lion’s share of possession for large parts of this game but visiting keeper Ian Brown was called on just once. The stats showed two on target efforts for Redditch – the other being blocked – while Biggleswade’s lively frontline racked up a more respectible nine.

Dior Angus twice fired wide of the visitors’ goals in the opening ten minutes before the Waders opened the scoring on 11 minutes when giant striker Inih Effiong headed on for Jordan Patrick and his shot from the edge of the area squirmed under diving keeper Brad Catlow.

A lengthy delay ensued as referee James Oldham was replaced by one of his assistants but that failed to knock the visitors off their stride and Catlow pulled off a fine reflex save to keep out Effiong’s header.

Gurjit Singh and Luke Keen put chances wide at the other end and that wayward finishing was punished again when Rhys Hoenes drilled in a second for Biggleswade on 24 minutes, Effiong again involved in the build-up.

Redditch’s best spell came at the start of the second half Angus finally forced a save from the keeper before putting another effort over the bar. The impressive Singh skipped past three defenders on the edge of the area only to miscue his shot and then let fly with a ferocious effort that was blocked in front of goal by defender Callum Lewis.

But all this effort seemed to take it out of the Reds and until the arrival of tricky substitute and u18 star Shuja Mahmood ten minutes from time, they looked a spent force.

In contrast, Biggleswade finished strongly and could have added a third through a Connor Hall header that had to be cleared off the line by Eli Bako before Catlow got down well to save from Hoenes.

Byfield and his players have a week to regroup before heading to another mid-table rival Dunstable Town on Saturday.

Reds: Catlow 6, Jones 6, Dhillon 7, Courtney 6, Brown 5 (Mahmood 80), Mutton 6, Benjamin 6 (Morris 57, 5), Bako 6 (Cullinane-Liburd 77), Keen 6, Angus 7, SINGH 8. Subs (not used): Loveridge, Byfield