PAUL Davis has bemoaned the individual mistakes which led to Redditch United coming away empty handed from their trip to Leiston on Saturday.

In a topsy-turvy match, Reds had the perfect start to the match when Leam Howards put his side ahead in just the fourth minute, hammering the ball into the net from close range.

But United found themselves going into half time 3-1 down after conceding three goals in five minutes.

The hosts equalised when Chris Henderson nodded in from a corner in the 18th minute, before Noel Aitkens also took advantage to make it 2-1. Leiston had their third on 23 minutes after a Redditch mix up allowed attacker Jake Reed in on goal.

Despite the drop off in the first 45 minutes, Redditch came out fighting in the second half, with goals from Howards and Liam Francis getting their side back in the game – after good work from Tom Winters on both occasions.

But it was heartbreak for the Reds when Byron Lawrence finished past Louis Connors to make it 4-3 to Leiston, which Davis thought was against the run of play.

The boss said: “We went there with a game plan and it worked well at the start of the game, but if anything we probably scored too early.

“The disappointing thing is that the goals we conceded were due to individual mistakes, but there is no excuse for a team to concede three goals in five minutes.

“We had to change our tactics in the second half, and it was probably some of the best football we have played all season. At 3-3 I would’ve been disappointed to have only taken a point from the game.

“I felt we were on top, their heads had gone and there was only one way the game was heading, but we had a lack of concentration, showing you can’t afford to switch off for a moment at this level.”

The result leaves Redditch languishing near the bottom of the Southern Premier Central with just a single win all season.

Bu Davis said: “I am concerned about the individual mistakes, but I would be more worried if we weren’t scoring goals. Goal scorers are like gold-dust and even though we didn’t score against Alvechurch and Hitchin I never felt like we wouldn’t.

“We keep creating chances and it’s not even defensive errors that are costing us, but individual mistakes and lapses in concentration – usually from set pieces – which we will try hard to cut out.

“We’ve conceded 17 goals this season – nine of them have been from set pieces. If you take those away we would be sat on 11 points right now.”

Davis is confident he has the players to turn around the club’s fortunes as they take a break from league action and invite Rugby Town to the Trico on Saturday (3pm kick-off) for a FA Cup first qualifying round tie.

He added: “Rugby are a very good team. They may be two levels below us but they wouldn’t get relegated from our league, so we will not underestimate them.”