Train = £30-20 (£11-30 + £18-90)
Entry = £10
Programme = £2
Tea = £1
Total = £43-20
Redditch is one of the few Conference North away games I didn't manage to get to in 2008/09. On top of that I believe its the only ground from that season that I've not seen since. The club is apparently one of the oldest establish clubs in the Midlands, and in fact has played a part in King's Lynn's recent history, having beaten us in a play-off for the inaugural Conference North/South in 2004. Its funny how quick things change, but how much they stay the same - we're now both in the Southern League, and although King's Lynn are a reformed club, this felt like old times. Prior to kick-off I realised I'd not seen a Southern League game for some years now, with the most recent probably being my forays in the West Midlands in 2009/10.
Thanks to some online research, I discovered that I could save £15 on train tickets today if I bought 2 tickets, breaking the journey at Derby. This made a brief stop at Derby worthwhile, and I was quite pleased with myself at saving money before the day had even begun. Trains down were smooth, and I even had the joy of changing at the nearly-opened Birmingham New Street. Suffice to say the platforms are still appallingly dank and dark, but the main concourse and entrance is now much improved.
After a 40-minute ride out to Redditch, the end of the line, I had a wander through the town. There was a funfair in full swing in the centre, and I had a pleasant amble around in the sunshine, doing a loop from the centre and back towards The Valley. The ground was barely 1/4 mile from the station, and at the end of a proper tarmacked road. It had actually been featured in a recent issue of Groundtastic so I was looking forward to this one.
The ground was fantastic, with a set of sweeping terraces to my right, and a more compact standing area along the far side. The main seated area was a distinctive structure, consisting of a red balcony, and holding a bar/clubhouse at the bottom. This definitely lived up to expectations.
In bright sunshine, the game kicked off. King's Lynn made a strong start, attacking with verve and energy. In particular, Toby Hilliard was lively and looking like a real threat. At this point, the home defence looked all at sea, so I felt confident we could grab a goal early on. Sadly this was our best period of the match, and Redditch gradually got a foothold largely thanks to out-muscling us in the centre of midfield, and to some hesitant goalkeeping from Alex Street. With pretty much no chances registered for the first half an hour, they took the lead on 28 minutes when Jamie Ashmore slid the ball underneath an onrushing Street. Frustration began to show in the away ranks, with Zielonka's late tackle earning him a booking.
The second half continued in much the same vein. Street, in the away goal, mis-kicked a backpass, giving the ball away unnecessarily, and the nervousness seemed to permeate through the defence. We looked vulnerable, and it was no surprise when Redditch doubled their lead when Shearer had plenty of room to pick a spot from outside the box. For a while this seemed to spur King's Lynn into action. Hurst's drive flew over the angle of post and bar, and Clunan's cheeky lob over the home keeper dipped just over. For all our possession, there were relatively few chances, and every time the 'Reds' had the ball, they looked like scoring. Street was having a nightmare, hesitating when coming out, and lacking authority around his box. He was lucky to escape with a yellow card when he clattered into the Redditch striker hurtling towards him. But then he redeemed himself when he saved the penalty down to his right.
Like other games I've seen this year, tempers began to flare. Kern Miller stupidly head-butted Dubidat after tangling with the striker, and for some reason only got a yellow. Both managers made wise decisions when replacing these players to avoid any further trouble. We were seeing plenty of the ball but there were hardly any real chances. Lee Stevenson's weak drive went straight at the keeper, while Speight's acrobatic volley flew just wide. At the other end, Bunn drove a shot straight into the keeper's hands.
So, 2-0, and it was a disappointing result. We had struggled to cope with the physicality and determination of the Redditch midfield, and there was a real lack of penetration up front. Our start in the Southern League has been patchy to say the least, with a lack of goals, and points on the board. I'm confident things will get better, but I think this game showed why we have found our level, and won't be challenging for promotion this year.
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