In-form Reds ‘ready and buoyant’ ahead of visit to leaders - The Redditch Standard

In-form Reds ‘ready and buoyant’ ahead of visit to leaders

Redditch Editorial 27th Nov, 2018   0

PAUL SMITH knows his Redditch United side must be ready from the first whistle when they take on Southern Premier Central leaders Kettering Town at Latimer Park tonight (Tuesday).

The Reds rebounded from a sluggish start against Lowestoft Town during their previous league outing to win 4-2 and extend their record to five victories from six league matches, but Smith said the players cannot afford a repeat in their bid to overcome a side which has won 12 of their 14 league matches.

He said: “This is our toughest game of the season – no doubt about that – but we are in excellent form ourselves. We’re third in the form table, behind Kettering and Stourbridge, so we go into the game full of confidence and fancy ourselves.

“We know we must bring our A game from the start. Kettering put four past Stourbridge, the only team that’s beaten us in the league since the end of September, so we know what we’re going to be up against.




“They’re a team full of quality, but we don’t hold any fear and we’ll go into it looking to be tough and difficult to beat, but also cause some problems when we have the ball, which we’re more than capable of.”

Midfielder Ahmed Ali, who scored a brace against Lowestoft, is a player Smith will be without for the visit to the Poppies, but the gaffer will be able to call upon midfielder Richard Batchelor, who joined the club over the weekend from Highgate United.


Smith added: “Ahmed is an outstanding footballer and one of the best central midfielders in the league. He’s been terrific since returning to the Trico Stadium, but his absence means an opportunity for someone else and Richard is a player who boasts hundreds of games at this level, is a leader and has a strong desire to win football matches.”

Another player Smith will be able to call upon is Mitch Piggon, who also signed last week. A striker by trade, he will offer something different to the forwards already on the books, explained the manager.

“Since I’ve been at the club, I’ve been looking for a player with physicality up front and Mitch, who is strong and 6ft 4in, fits the bill,” said Smith.

“He will allow the other forward options we have to flourish and play their natural game, as Mitch will hold the ball up and look to feed his team-mates. He trained last Tuesday night, is fit and I know he’ll be a valuable asset for us.”

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