Leek Town 1 Redditch United 2

AT long last Reds manager Rod Brown's mystifying faith in Lee Booth was rewarded when the misfiring striker scored a priceless winner to establish himself in Redditch folklore.

Booth enjoyed the support of United's small but vocal band of travelling supporters last night, but since hauling his seemingly golden boots from Stourport to the Valley he has endured a goalscoring drought which would embarass Adie Akinbiyi.

Presented with the ball in the six yard box, in front of a gaping net in the 91st minute, even the big lad could not miss and duly obliged by rifling into the bottom corner, prompting a mini pitch invasion from the away bench and riotous celebrations in the stands.

Naveed Arshad should have put it beyond doubt seconds later when he sprinted onto a Neil Manton clearance after Leek had committed nine men forward only to fire wide of goal with keeper Phil Morgan backpedalling.

But the super sub had done enough by providing the platform for a dramatic finish with a 78th minute screamer.

After belligerent work from Manton and Matty Hall on the right the hosts failed to clear their lines and Arshad, only on the pitch nine minutes, advanced into the left hand side of the area before unleashing an exocet which crashed into the top far stanchion.

The final whistle saw Redditch chairman Neil Pagett spring out of his seat and jump the granstand steps three at a time before vaulting over the perimeter fence and capering with his players like some erstwhile David Pleat minus the slip-ons.

His club have now banked £16,000 from this year's competition in winnings alone and with the draw giving United as near to a banker as the FA Cup throws up in the next round, Booth's strike should be worth another£10,000 plus a bumper home gate after Saturday's 389 crowd.

The hosts thought they had done enough after Dave McPherson, the scourge of the Valley three days earlier, was allowed to turn in the Reds box and find Dave Whittaker who chipped United shot-stopper Richard Anstiss for a delightful goal.

But if Leek twisted the knife with a 94th minute heartbreaker at the weekend, the boot was firmly on the other foot in Staffordshire as Redditch went one better.

The home fans will point to numerous first half chances and blame bad luck but, in truth, they offered little more than a crude aerial bombardment.

Striker Adam Martin fired onto Anstiss' near post after just nine minutes but despite bludgeoning further openings, Leek only brought the keeper into action once more in the first half when he had to react well to deny a Chris Freestone header.

McPherson was off target with two headers but it was the visitors who started the second half more convincingly with Richard Field's firm header from a Hall cross bringing the best out Morgan in the 47th minute.

Within seconds Field blazed over a gaping net from another Hall centre and will have been the first to congratulate Booth after that glaring miss.

The chances sparked the hosts back into life and Richard Softley had to clear at the far post after Richard Bevan got his head to a dangerous centre from the man who created Saturday's equaliser Anthony Danylyk.

Within seconds Whittaker had put the hosts in front but the smiles vanished as Arshad levelled and a winner was all United deserved as they scented blood and went for the throat late on rather than play for extra time.

United entertain Arnold as their best Cup run for five seasons continues and Brown knows he has every chance of giving the club their best run since 1989-90 when they went all the way to the First Round Proper.