FA Cup Qualifying Round

Redditch United (1) 1

King's Norton Town (0) 0

ADAM Nicholls' second goal of the season was enough to give Redditch United victory against former tenants King's Norton, who were making their debut in the competition.

But the Reds should have won by a more comfortable scoreline had it not being for the heroics of stand-in keeper Richard Field and a catalogue of missed chances.

Nicholls got the home side of to the perfect start bravely heading home a Jan Mulders cross, which had been flicked on by Jamie Hart, after just four minutes.

Redditch dominated the opening period but failed to turn it into goals with Hart denied by Field.

Paul Burton, who had recovered from a hip injury, failed to reach a Hart cross, with the goal at his mercy after 17 minutes, and two minutes later lost out in a one-on-one with the keeper.

Reds eased off and nearly paid the penalty seconds before half-time when Norton first real effort of the game went just wide of Dave Adey's right hand post.

Redditch began the second half as they had the first and could have put the game out of reach by the hour.

Field pulled of a fine one-handed save after Hart was through with just the keeper to beat, and minutes later Hart put the ball over the bar from a diving header.

Burton had chance to make up for his glaring miss in the opening period from just two yards out but he spurned the opportunity.

Norton sensed they could still get something out of the game and began pushing forward. They almost equalised on 73 minutes when Nicholas Lamorte broke free, but Adey came to the Reds rescue blocking the fierce effort and gathering at the second attempt.

Burton still had chance to make the score reflect the home sides dominance but his nightmare afternoon continued putting a header over the bar and losing out on another one-on-one.

Fortunately they did not matter as Reds progressed to the first qualifying round, which will see them travelling to Bedworth United next month.

Redditch: Adey, Knight, Randall, Manton, Molloy, Mulders, Tilley (Cope 85), Nicholls, Burton, Hart, Dearlove. Subs (not used) Gillett, Yapp, R Smith.

l Attendance: 175

l Man of the match: Hart

l Booked: Knight