BIRTHDAY BOY Daniel Sweeney came off the bench to rescue a point for Redditch United after they were held to a 1-1 draw with basement club Hitchin Town.
Sweeney equalised on 83 minutes with a stunning finish after Jacob Hutchinson had fired the Canaries ahead on 56 minutes.
The result leaves Redditch in 15th place in the Southern League Premier Central table, six points clear of the relegation zone, having now gone six matches unbeaten.
After a slow opening, the Reds had the first chance of the game when Calum Flanagan’s attempt went wide of the post from Ryan Edmunds’s corner to the back post.
Hitchin responded with a chance of their own when Joshua Coldicott-Stevens fired a long range effort wide of the right post.
Matt Clarke’s side finished the half strongly and almost broke the deadlock when Ryan Boothe’s low curling effort bounced narrowly wide of the post.
However, it was the Canaries who took the lead in the second period when Hutchinson headed past Reds goalkeeper Kieran Boucher after he was left unmarked at the back post.
And the home side should have doubled their lead only for Malaki Black to shoot straight at Boucher who parried the ball to safety.
Sweeney’s introduction brought Redditch level when he exchanged passes with Lewis Hudson before curling a superb effort into the right corner from the edge of the penalty area.
Redditch are next in action away at Nuneaton Borough on Saturday, February 19 with kick-off at 3pm at the Advanced Machining Stadium.
