IT’S BARNES SUB MARCUS
SUBSTITUTE Marcus Barnes weaved the magic that decided this third-versus-second clash.
A tense battle at the Valley was lit up 11 minutes from time when Barnes set off with the ball at his feet, breezing past Redditch skipper Reece Flanagan before cutting in from the right and blasting inside Adam Harrison’s near post.
Barnes then wrapped up the points for Mickleover in added time, springing the offside trap and holding off Matt Fulloway before confidently tucking past Harrison one-on-one, unleashing the prowess that boss John McGrath had called for.
“It is not an 11-man team that wins you games or leagues, it is a 16 or 18-man effort,” he said.
“Marcus had an opportunity in the phase of play before that first goal, to go and dribble and run. I said to him that he is quick, direct and good with the ball at his feet. Next time he opened up, picked up the ball deep, got up the pitch and was cool, calm and collected with the finish.
“It was a battle. I told the boys we should expect that from any game and it was always going to be hardfought but I thought we played well and deserved the win.”
While it had looked like drifting towards a dreary stalemate, the interventions brought about the right result with Mickleover looking a little sharper all over.
Redditch started well enough without threatening and Mickleover might have moved in front midway through the first half, Ben Sault cutting back from the left of the box for Will Trueman to slam wide on the run.
Sault was denied the opener two minutes later, shooting towards a gaping net after Harrison failed to take a cross he had come for but Fulloway headed off the line.
United assistant boss Keron Jackson said: “The manner in which we conceded the first goal, from our set-piece, was disappointing. It was a sickener but we just have to dust ourselves down and bounce back.
“I felt we had contained them but we didn’t have the cutting edge in the final third to really go and hurt them.”