Redditch United 1, Biggleswade Town 0

REDDITCH United took their play-off ambitions into the final day of the season with a comfortable victory over Biggleswade Town, writes Lewis Cox.

The sun greeted Liam McDonald’s men on the campaign final match day at The Valley and the Reds were able to put on a composed display in front of a healthy crowd.

With St Neots and Weymouth vying for that coveted final play-off spot, three points ahead of Redditch at the start of play, anything but a win would have ended the dream.

The hosts were quicks out of the traps, imposing themselves on a lacklustre Biggleswade side who were very much content settling for the point they needed for survival.

A poor Ashley Sammons’ touch when well-placed followed good early work from Luke Shearer and Jordan Jones for Redditch.

The lively Shearer set off on another mazy run before setting for Calvin Dinsley who dragged wide.

Visiting stopped Ian Brown was at full-stretch to deny Shearer’s sliced volley on 26 minutes.

Dinsley then lifted a ball into George Carline who teed up Clayton McDonald, the big centre-half could only pull his half-volley wide.

But seven minutes before the break McDonald’s men had the important goal, a similar Dinsley delivery was met by Carline, whose volleyed cross took a nick off Cam Mawer and flew beyond Brown.

The action-packed opening half was followed by a tentative second, the Waders offering very little with Redditch unable to build up a similar head of steam.

The busy Mor Diop should have sealed the points six minutes after the break, skewing horribly wide when put clear through by Sammons.

Jay Daniels skied the only Biggleswade opening on the hour, before fluid interplay from Diop and Carline fed Jones who cut inside and fired over left-footed.

Substitutes Leigh Phillips, Jordan Cullinane-Liburd and Simeon Maye all linked late on as the former thundered a ball across the six-yard box that begged a touch.

Redditch: Hornby 7, Jones 8, Caines 7, McDonald 8, Flanagan 7, Spink 7, Dinsley 7, Carline 8, Sammons 7 (Cullinane-Liburd 83), Diop 7 (Maye 64, 6), SHEARER 8 (Phillips 74). Subs (not used): Scarr, Bridgwater