Sutton Coldfield Town 1 Redditch United 0 (match abandoned after 73 min)

A GOAL down with 17 minutes to go Redditch lived to fight another day after the official finally called a halt to a farcical match on a filthy night at Coles Lane.

With buckets of rain slanting across the pitch on the back of a gale force wind, the decision to kick off at all was surprising.

And when conditions worsened after the break, the official immediately called time as soon as the ball started to stick in the quagmire amid flailing legs.

The visitors found themselves trailing to a Dean Perrow strike after just eight minutes but, to their credit, tried to play their way back into it despite the apocalyptic conditions.

Chances were few and far between with control a lottery but Lee Booth should have done better late in the first half when given a clear run on goal as defender Steve Farmer missed his clearance and ended up on his backside.

But the forward's lack of pace told and although the ball squirted to Steve Shaw the full back fired wide from close range.

Keeper Richard Anstiss kept United in it in the 57th minute and six minutes later opposite number Justin Bray repeated the feat at the other end to thwart Shaw.

Naved Arshad saw a shot blocked in the 69th minute and three minutes later Lea Shaw fired Neil Manton's tame effort on to the post.

But ultimately the elements came out on top much to the disgust of the smattering of home fans in the main stand.