Yate Town (0) 1

REDDITCH UNITED (1) 2

A Jamie Hart brace ended a run of three successive defeats as the Reds took all three points off bottom-of-the-table Yate Town on Saturday.

In an effort to improve the side's performance, manager Rob Smith included himself in the starting line-up for the first time this season.

It did the trick and Redditch thoroughly deserved the win as they were the better side throughout the game.

From the whistle they put pressure on the home defence and were rewarded in the ninth minute when a far post cross from Reds man of the match Nicky Cross found Jamie Hart, who had no trouble finding the back of the net.

Redditch lost Ross Knight in the 17th minute with an ankle injury when he was the recipient of the late tackle. He was replaced by midfielder Peter Sutton.

Redditch continued to dominate on a very wet pitch and with the tireless Cross causing the home defence all sorts of problems, could have gone further ahead had it not been for some excellent saves by Yate keeper Simon Bean.

The best of Reds' other chances in the first half fell to Adam Nicholls, again set up by Nicky Cross in the 29th minute, but his blockbuster of a shot from just inside the box was somehow parried by Bean and the rebound scrambled away by a relieved home defence.

The second half, played through a series of torrential downpours, followed much the same pattern as the first, with Redditch looking the better side and Cross and Hart giving the Yate defence a torrid time.

Yate drew level against the run of play in the 66th minute from a disputed corner as home captain Alex Stoker managed to head in past a crowded goal line.

But Redditch were not to be denied and a neat headed pass over the home defence by Nicky Cross in the 69th minute put Hart through. He rounded the keeper and calmly stroked the ball into the net from a narrow angle.

Reds created more chances as the game came to a close but the Yate defence rode its luck and although well beaten, trudged off the pitch at the final whistle with what looked on paper a narrow defeat.

Redditch: Adey, Knight (Sutton 17), Randall, Manton, Gillett, Molloy, Dearlove, Nicholls, Cross, Hart (Burton 76), R Smith. Sub not used: M Smith

Attendance: 80

Man of the match: Cross