FA Cup 2nd qualifying round
Redditch United 0 Burton Albion 1
A Danny George header sent the Reds crashing out of the Cup at the hands of Nigel Clough's Burton Albion.
A defensive mix-up saw the tall central defender ghost in unmarked early in the second half to head in a Terry Henshaw cross.
It was a cruel blow for Redditch, who kept the visitors at bay with some solid defending, skipper Paul Molloy and midfielder James Cope outstanding as Burton were out-battled.
Molloy had Redditch's best chance of a lacklustre first half, heading just wide from Cope's 24th-minute corner.
Keeper Dave Adey had little to do all afternoon apart from picking George's 50th minute goal from the net and watching as Burton's player-boss Clough lobbed an effort inches too high.
Reds, with strikers Paul Burton and Nicky Cross having off days in attack, made it a three-pronged front line in the closing minutes and this also paid off five minutes from time when substitute Kerry Giddings found space in the centre, only to head wide of Nick Goodwin in the visitors' goal.
In a game that rarely burst into life, referee Norton took it upon himself to add some excitement with a flurry of yellow cards that saw three Redditch players booked inside the opening 20 minutes.
Redditch: Adey 7, Gillett 7, Mulders 6, Manton 6, Molloy 8, Dearlove 6, Sutton 5 (Giddings 69, 6), Nicholls 6, Cross 5, Burton 6, Cope 8 (Burke 83). Subs not used: Tilley, Yapp, Smith.
Attendance: 608
Man of the match: Cope.
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