Redditch United 1, Chesham United 0 　

IT will hardly be remembered as the most fluent of performances, but at this stage of the season it’s the points that matter for Redditch United.

What looked like being a frustrating point, then could have been a promotion-denting defeat ended with a hard-fought victory, courtesy of substitute Ashley Sammons’ late penalty.

Sammons kept his nerve to slot home an 86th-minute penalty, awarded after George Carline, collecting a pass from Danico Johnson, was flattened by a lunging challenge from Chesham defender George Fenton.

It had been a game full of endeavour but with few chances and too many interruptions from whistle-happy referee Matthew Lee until it sparked into life in the final ten minutes.

First, Reds keeper Jose Veiga parried a 20-yard shot from Sam Youngs and then blocked the follow-up by Barry Hayles.

Then Chesham were inches away from a goal when Toby Little’s 20-yard free-kick thudded against the cross-bar with Veiga rooted.

Moments later, however, the Reds had the victory with Sammons’ fourth goal of the season to move into third place in the Evo-Stik Southern Premier Division table.

The Reds had looked the more threatening, with new signing Jack Hallahan providing a lively presence on the right wing, but Chesham keeper Shane Gore was barely tested, apart from Max Loveridge’s 20-yarder in the first half.

Liam McDonald’s men played with a better tempo in the second period, with Carline having one effort blocked on the line and then flicking a shot into the side-netting.

The lively Loveridge and Jamey Osborne had teasing runs but couldn’t find the finishing touch while Johnson completely miskicked from an Osborne shot-cross with the goal gaping.

　

REDDITCH: Veiga 7; Liburd 6; Mutton 6, Richards 7, Flanagan 6; Hallahan 8 (Thompson-Brown 72, 6), Loveridge 7, Osborne 6, Carline 6; Luckie 6 (Sammons, 81), Shearer 5 (Johnson, 70, 6). Subs: Young, Johnson, Molyneux.