REDDITCH United will aim to bounce back from a frustrating week when they host Hayes & Yeading United in the Southern League Premier Division on Saturday.
Darren Byfield’s side, who produced a lacklustre display in losing 2-0 at Biggleswade Town on Saturday, remain seventh in the table as they bid to make it three successive home league wins.
There was also disappointment on Tuesday when a reshuffled Reds side surrendered a 3-1 lead in bowing out of the Southern League Challenge Cup 4-3 at the hands of visitors Stratford Town.
The Reds seemed to be comfortably in charge when Trovarn Thompson marked his debut with a poacher’s strike barely 50 seconds into the second half at the Valley Stadium.
Although Town had struck first through Warren Brooks’ 30-yard stunner, Byfield’s men had levelled through a marvellous 40-yard chip from Reece Hales and then led thanks to a superbly taken David McDermott effort in first half stoppage time.
However, goals from ex-United man Dior Angus and Kieren Westwood made it 3-3 and then Stratford, with former Reds striker Edwin Ahenkorah a constant menace, grabbed the winner in the 89th minute when teenage substitute Ben Ellicott bundled home Ahenkorah’s angled cross-shot.
The Reds went closest early on when Town keeper James Cutts tipped a McDermott shot on to the bar and over but Stratford struck the first goal with a scorcher on 26 minutes.
Westwood dispossessed Javia Roberts and raced down the left before Ahenkorah rolled the ball into the path of Brooks 30 yards from goal and the midfielder side-footed an exquisite right-footer into the top corner.
If that was a long distance effort, the Reds bettered that to level on 35 minutes. Cutts raced from his goal out to the right to boot clear from the advancing Roberts, but the clearance dropped to Hales ten yards inside the Town half. Without hesitation, he controlled the ball and steered a perfect lob over the back-pedalling keeper and defenders to bounce into the net.
It was becoming a goal of the match contest when the Reds went ahead in first half injury-time when McDermott collected a cross-field pass on the left-hand side of the area and shimmied to drill a low drive into the bottom corner.
Barely 50 seconds into the second half the Reds led 3-1 when McDermott’s teasing run took him past two defenders to the edge of the area and, although Max Loveridge’s shot slammed against the crossbar, Thompson reacted quickest to fire home.
However, Stratford were not finished and Angus slammed home Town’s second goal on 62 minutes before they levelled when Westwood rifled home another sweetly-timed shot from a sharp angle 13 minutes from time.
Defender Frank Hazell cleared Ahenkorah’s shot a couple of feet from the line and penalties seemed to be looming but, in the dying moments, Ahenkorah bided his time down the right after getting beyond his marker and Ellicott was in the right place to find the net to seal a remarkable win for Carl Adams’ side.