REDS manager Rod Brown was this week hoping to tie up the signing of former Stourport captain Lea Shaw in time for the trip to Sutton Coldfield Town on Saturday.

'The General' captained the Walshes Meadow side to their Midland Alliance title last season and his recent move to Dr Martens Western outfit Bilston has opened the door for a move to the Valley.

By recruiting Swifts player-coach Brendan Hackett and leading scorer Lee Booth for Redditch, Brown is not allowed to return to his old stamping ground for signings before the end of the season.

But he moved swiftly after Shaw opted to join Ken Drakeford's Steelmen and was hoping to entice him to United after lodging a seven day approach.

It was a case of one in, one out with Alvechurch old boy Michael Campbell linking up with former United manager Rob Smith at Willenhall in time to make his debut against Studley at the weekend.

Shaw's arrival would take Brown's squad to 17 after the singing of left-sided player Richard Beale from Solihull and could mean another departure after the manager restated his need to hold a squad of 15 or 16.

The trip to Solihull could see Brown up against his predecessor Nicky Cross and Nigel Brown, one of the players he released from the Valley, but the Reds chief wants a clean sheet with his side five points short of the 26 point survival target.