Redditch United 4 Workington Reds 1

AFTER the controversial build-up to Saturday's match a potentially charged encounter was mercifully free of trouble with all the action on the pitch as Gary Whild's side made a mockery of their visitors' title ambitions.

It was the hosts who played as though they were joint top of the league with Workington's equaliser the only blip on a comprehensive victory for a United side who bossed the game from start to finish. Adisplay epitomised by a lung-bursting performance from star man Carl Palmer.

Palmer was everywhere in midfield against a Workington side who arrived late and never got going.

The all-action ball-winner was rewarded with two goals - carbon copy thumping near post headers to convert corners by Damian Whitcombe - in the 25th minute to restore United's lead - and Simon Hollis - in the 59th minute to put the Reds 4-1 up and cruising.

And Palmer was denied a deserved hat-trick in the second minute of added time when his powerful low drive was charged down after the electric Chris Murphy robbed a dallying Tony Hopper - and this before the wide man's follow-up effort was well saved by a diving Adam Collis.

Collis had to be alert as early as the third minute in an energetic but scrappy opening, tipping over an inswinging Whitcombe corner from the right.

Six minutes later a Palmer header allowed lone striker Scott Rickards to flash a shot wide.

The respite was brief with Murphy pouncing on a woefully underhit back pass from Alan Gray to beat Collis to the ball which he rolled into an empty net in the 10th minute.

It could have been two within five minutes, Palmer mugging Kyle May and finding -- who helped it on to Hollis, his shot across the face of goal rolling inches in front of a lunging Murphy.

Workington hit back on 24 minutes after good work from left winger Peter Ferris whose stepovers won him space to fling a deep cross which was headed back into the six-yard box by Hopper for Anthony Wright to throw himself at it and head past an exposed Richard Anstiss.

Within a minute Palmer restored United's advantage. Craig Johnstone and Danny Lennon had half chances for the visitors but Hollis made it 3-1 in first-half injury time with a low effort that went in off the foot of the post after more good work from Rickards.

When Palmer made it 4-1 the job was done, a right-footed effort from Graham Goulding Workington's meagre response.

Murphy fluffed his attempted volley when well placed in the 63rd minute after a hopeless attempted clearance from Alan Inglis and Anstiss saved well from May's header in the last minute before Palmer almost won the match ball late on.

Redditch United: Anstiss 7, Walker 5, Whitcombe 7, Geohaghon 7, Rae 6, Murphy 8, Downes 6, Alsop 6 (Petty 85), Rickards 8 (Francis 81), Hollis 7 (Cottrill 77), PALMER 9. Subs not used: Walker, Softley.

Workington Reds: Collis, Hopper, Inglis, May, Gray, Henney, Lennon (Douglas 55), Goulding, Johnstone, Ferris (Gordon 55), Wright. Subs not used: Curwen, Carmichael, Taylor. Booked: May, Johnstone. Referee: A Newbold (Loughborough).

Attendance: 358.