It was a tough start for the Boro with skipper Tony Breeden forced into a number of fine saves in the first 15 minutes, the pick of the bunch was a superb 11th minute stop.

Boro were given a mountain to climb in the 15th minute when Isaiah Osbourne was shown a straight red card.
Ozzy was making his first appearance of the season and although his foot was high it appeared to be a very harsh call with the Redditch Utd manager stating as much in his post match interview.

To their credit Boro rolled up their sleeves and put in a real shift as they batted to overcome the odds.

The away sides first real chance of the game came in the 17th minute when Lita’s shot from inside the box was deflected wide after great build up play from Kaziboni.

The Reds were having the better of the first half but Boro came agonisingly close to taking the lead when Ethan Stewart’s header rattled the bar in the 40th minute.

Just three minutes before half-time the deadlock was broken when Hillman’s shot took a cruel deflection off Stewart and flew past Breeden to make it 1-0 to the hosts.

Hood then saw a header fly wide of the home goal as the half came to a close.

HT:1-0

Boro started the second forty-five brightly but failed to create any clear cut chances early on.

Shamsi had a shot blocked in the 51st minute and shortly afterwards Goddard saw his long range effort sail over the bar.

The first clear opportunity off the half came for the Reds in the 58th minute but Stewart managed to clear the ball off the line, keeping Nuneaton in the game.

In the 68th minute, Boro were close to a leveller when Goddard’s effort curled just past the post.

After this the away side continued to boss the second half and gave everything in a push for an equaliser, but to no avail.

Chances came and went with Shamsi firing wide and Tomkinson having his effort saved by the Reds keeper.

In the 83rd minute Lita fired a ball across the goal but it evaded everyone.

Then, in the 91st minute, salt was rubbed into Boro’s wounds when Nassunculo made it 2-0 for Redditch after his shot was coolly dispatched past Breeden.

Despite playing with ten men for 75 minutes Boro showed their battling qualities and will feel bitterly disappointed to leave empty handed.

FT: 2-0

Redditch Utd: Boucher, Rankin, Horton, Day, Davies (Richards 28), Charlton, Nassunculo, Copp (Mullarkey 59), Cameron, Clement, Hillman (Johnston 70).
Unused subs: Taylor.

Boro: Breeden©, Kelly-Evans, Stewart, Hood, Tomkinson, Osbourne, Kaziboni, Goddard, Bassett (Edmunds 88), Lita, Shamsi.
Unused subs: Gudger, Dias, Baker, Brown.

Attendance: 580