Reds fall away as Hemel ease to victory (From Redditch Advertiser)

Reds fall away as Hemel ease to victory

11:30am Sunday 7th October 2012 in Sport By David Lawrence

Redditch United 1, Hemel Hemstead Town 4

Redditch suffered their worst defeat of the season at the hands of high-flying Hemel.

But the scoreline was harsh on the Reds who were a match for their visitors until back-to-back goals at the start of the second period left them reeling.

Hemel opened the scoring with just six minutes on the clock, Matt Nolan spotting keeper James Wren off his line before looping an effort into the net from 35 yards.

United pushed for an equaliser with Stuart Hendrie forcing a good save from visiting keeper Mark Osborn before Callum Flanagan managed to head over the target when unchallenged at a corner.

Those misses proved costly as Hemel doubled the lead on 29 minutes, Dave Pearce firing home after some shoddy defending from the home side.

Connor Deards reduced the deficit seven minutes before the break, cutting in from the right before firing home, and Hendrie dragged another effort just the wrong side of the post.

But for all their first half promise against one of the season’s early pacesetters, the Reds were swept aside by two goals soon after the restart.

Nolan thundered home his second on 54 minutes following a good run from Victor Osobu before Pearce bagged his second six minutes laterexploiting the lack of communication between Wren and his defence.

The introduction of substitute Jack Cresswell injected some life into the flagging Reds in the closing stages and he went close 15 minutes from the end with a powerful low drive that Osborn did well to palm around the foot of the post.

Reds: Wren 4, Midworth 5, Quaynor 5, Charlton 6, Flanagan 5, Hands 7, Grandison 6 (Cresswell 61, 7), Richards 6 (Bridgwater 67, 6), Hendrie 7, Dovey 5 (Danks 72), DEARDS 8. Subs (not used): Hickman, Catlow.