Blues squander two-goal lead to leave Redditch empty-handed
Redditch United 5 Lowestoft Town 3
To the neutral this game had everything - eight goals, two penalties, a sending off and a major fight back.
For Jamie Godbold though it was a more worrying sentiment as for the second game running his side seemed to lose all cohesion after a third goal.
On Redditch's 3G pitch Lowestoft took time to settle and had already survived a couple of scares before they fell behind after just seven minutes. The goal had little to do with the pitch though as full back Jak Hickman was allowed to run through from the half way line unchallenged to shoot past Luis Tibbles and in off the far post.
The equaliser that had been on the cards for some time duly arrived in the 39th minute when a ball drilled in from the right was volleyed into his own net by central defender Jordan Stoddart.
It took the Trawlerboys just three minutes to take the lead. Jacek Zielonka's flag kick was partially cleared and Andrew Fisk raced in to slam the ball home from the edge of the area for his first goal since September 2014, a run of 175 games.
Six minutes into the second half Jake Reed exchanged passes before cutting inside Stoddard and firing in Lowestoft's third goal. In the 55th minute a superb cross from the right saw substitute Connor Deards power home an excellent header.
Within a minute Lowestoft struggled to clear in a crowded penalty area and Fisk was adjudged to have brought down Callum Coyle and Dan Sweeney stepped up to convert the resultant spot kick.
Redditch moved ahead in the 65th minute as Lowestoft were caught exposed at the back for Sweeney to run through the centre to shoot past Tibbles. Lowestoft were now leaving huge gaps at the back as they looked for an equalizer and should have fallen further behind as Rhys Hilton ran clear but was brought down by Tibbles for a second spot kick. This time though Sweeney blasted the ball high over the top to squander a chance to complete his hat-trick.
Lowestoft sent on Bammant to support Reed up front but his involvement was to last a mere nine minutes before he saw red.
In the fifth minute of added time with all bar Tibbles deep in the Redditch half Deards ran through from his own half to notch the fifth.
Redditch: Boucher, Hickman (Deards 52), Moore, Mulders, Stoddard, Staten (Willock 75), Newell (Franklin 85), Mclean, Sweeney, Hilton, Coyle. Subs (not used) Beardmore, Flanagan.
Lowestoft: Tibbles, Lopez (Richardson 66), Jack Wilkinson, Jarvis (Marcus Wilkinson 87), Cole, Deeks, Zielonka, Fisk, Reed, McIntosh (Bammant 66), Williams. Subs (not used) Blowers, Linton.
Referee: Mr B Cooke
Attendance: 200
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