Redditch United 4

Solihull Borough 2

NEW Year and new hope for Redditch United's season after a sparkling second half performance saw them clinch victory over tenants Solihull Borough.

Two goals apiece from Nicky Cross and Adam Nicholls did the damage, but it was indebted to a devastating display of passion and self-belief rarely seen this season.

This was exemplified by midfielder Richard Field and the on-loan Pete Barry, who had an excellent game marshalling the defence after Paul Molloy was unable to return after the break.

But the Reds' second victory of the festive season owed equally as much to a half-time roasting by manager Rob Smith after his side went in a goal down after the first half.

They came unstuck in the 29th minute when Phil Rowe happened to be in the right place at the right time to head home the ball after it had bounced fortuitously into his path from Joe Dowling's strong run.

But it was a different story in the second half as just three minutes had gone after the re-start when Nicky Cross glanced home Micky Moore's right-wing cross to level the game against his previous club.

Borough responded but failed to take advantage of the Reds inability to play offside but both Hollis and Chris Pearce were guilty of missing.

They proved costly as Nicholls swept Redditch into the lead, stabbing the ball home from close range on 63 minutes after excellent play down the left by Stuart Randall and Moore set up the midfielder for his second goal in two games.

Chances were falling at either end and it was Hollis who atoned for his earlier misses by turning Randall and firing a low deflected shot under Adey to level the game on 77 minutes.

But Reds regained the advantage five minutes later when a diagonal ball from the returning Mickey Williams fell into the path of Nicholls who struck a ferocious volley from the edge of the box and into the top left corner of the goal.

Borough were not beaten and Redditch were indebted to Adey as he pulled off an excellent finger-tip save to deny substitute Neil Beagan at the expense of a corner.

This was cleared by the Reds, but a 35-yard strike by centre back Ian Mitchell had the Reds' hearts in their mouths as it clipped the crossbar with Adey beaten.

But it was left to Cross to gift wrap an afternoon of superb football with a remarkable goal four minutes into stoppage time.

Having won possession by the Solihull corner flag, the 37-year-old cut inside three players before floating the ball over Anstiss and into the net.

Redditch: Adey, Knight (Hart 83), Randall, Manton, Molloy (Barry 46), Farmer, Field, Nicholls, Cross, Moore (Danks 75).

Booked: Manton and Cross.

Attendance: 320

Man of the match: Field