Redditch United 0 Paulton Rovers 2

LIAM McDonald insisted there were no excuses after admitting Redditch United were beaten by the better side on Saturday.

The Reds boss was brutally honest about his side’s performance after they slipped to a third successive defeat against in-form Paulton Rovers who extended their unbeaten run to six games despite playing the final half an hour with ten men and a stand-in goalkeeper.

Having handed the visitors with a second-minute lead, the Reds struggled to build any momentum as passes went astray again and again.

The Reds looked rusty after their enforced two-week lay-off, and a bobbling pitch hardly helped, as did the absence of defender Jim Mutton, but McDonald was simply frustrated by a Reds display strangely lacking its usual spark.

“Paulton were the better side,” said McDonald. “They outworked us, they outfought us and they out battled us in key areas. It was a disappointing in terms of the result but more so in terms of the performance.

“We didn’t deserve to win and the lads know that. I can’t make excuses for the performance.”

The Reds had the worst possible start when a defensive howler handed Paulton second-minute lead. Captain Calum Flanagan’s back-header lacked the power to reach keeper Sam Hornby and Scott Wilson poked out his leg to divert the ball into the net from just inside the area.

It was 2-0 on 52 minutes when Paulton’s rapier counter-attack allowed Jon Davies to hare down the right and then set up Mitchell Page for the simplest of tap-ins from three yards.

The Reds struggled to create any clear-cut chances. A series of Zac Sirrell corners caused danger when George Carline, debutant Courtney Baker-Richardson and Dan Scarr were just off target while Simeon Maye’s 25-yard free-kick was tipped over.

Paulton faced a late flurry of pressure when keeper Kyle Phillips was red-carded on the hour. Phillips’ kick was charged down by Baker-Richardson, who was then hauled back as he looked to fire into the open net and referee Andrew Humphries sent him off.

Left-back Sam Teale took over in goal, and was rooted to the post when Sirrell’s subsequent free-kick smashed into the post. But that was as close as the Reds got to scoring as Teale blocked a near-post effort from Ashley Sammons and collected Flanagan’s 20-yarder to earn Paulton’s fifth clean sheet in six matches.

REDDITCH: Hornby 6; Jones 6, Scarr 6, Flanagan 6, Cullinane-Liburd 6 (Sammons, 63); Sirrell 7, Spink (Loveridge, 59) 5, Mayo 5, Shearer (Phillips, 59) 6; Baker-Richardson 7, Carline 7. Subs: Caines, Oshungbure.

PAULTON: Phillips; Anson,Nkunga, Brile, Teale; Jefferies, Evans, Williams, Davies (Bryant, 80); Page (Green, 88), Wilson (Tovey, 63). Subs: Monelle, Lindsey.

Referee: Andrew Humphries Attendance: 278.