Kettering Town 2 Redditch United 0

REDDITCH United's FA Cup adventure is over for another year.

The knowledge they were not outclassed by a side playing in the Conference last season and the extra cash garnered from a share of the 1,000 plus gate will come as little consolation after Nicky Cross' side again spurned chances.

As in the first leg, the underdogs had periods of pressure but failed to hit the back of the net.

The Rockingham Road encounter was less entertaining than the clash three days earlier at The Valley and the visitors failed to seriously threaten Ian Bowling's goal before the break.

This was due in part to Cross' switch to a 5-3-2 formation with Mark Creighton, Steve Frost and Tommy Byrne in central defence.

But the defensive tactics failed to stop the hosts creating chances in the first half and the surprising omission of the impressive Ian Mitchell meant a shortage of quality balls to Paul Danks and Neil Beagan up front.

Darren Collins forced Reds keeper Harvey Willetts to block with his feet as early as the fourth minute but United were matching their higher league hosts until suffering a cruel early blow.

When Collins ran onto a Dale Watkins ball in the sixth minute, Willetts came off his line smartly to block but the ball ricocheted goalwards off Collins' knee.

There was still time for Creighton to clear but the former Bromsgrove defender took his eye off the ball and could only hack it clear after it crossed the line.

Lee Cowling, Lee Howarth, and Collins, twice, missed chances as the hosts dominated the opening half.

Redditch player-boss Cross chose to take off prolific forward Paul Danks at half time in favour of Michael Campbell.

The switch initailly paid off with Redditch pressing forward as the hosts visibly shrank but ultimately former Alvechurch hitman Campbell, eager as ever, ran down too many blind alleys.

Richard Field stormed off the pitch after a being subbed off in the 55th minute, hurling his captain's armband to the turf in disgust after Cross tried to restrain him.

Campbell was thwarted by a timely Craig Norman tackle before Beagan missed United's best chance of the tie as Bowling saved brilliantly one-on-one after a Campbell pass in the 61st minute.

Mitchell fired badly wide two minutes later before Norman was inches wide at the other end with a 30 yard free kick. Slack defending saw Colcombe find Beagan unmarked in the box from a quickly-taken free kick on 72 minutes but the forward's rocket was just over.

And the killer blow came two minutes later when Town claimed another scrappy goal.

Tommy Byrne misjudged a Cowling header into the box leaving Willetts stranded as Watkins fired joyfully home. Watkins and Collins missed chances for the hosts and Mark Swann hit a dipper from distance in the 91st minute but it was all over for brave United.