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Three for three: resilient Redditch United resurged under Matt Clarke who’s “ready to seize opportunities and push up the table”

Since retaking the helm at Redditch United, Matt Clarke’s Reds have had a turbulent time with just three wins from twelve league games, as they sit 11th in the Southern League Premier Central.

Despite this, the Reds are looking to resurge their form having now won three games in just a week, with a 3-1 victory over Leamington in the Birmingham Senior Cup Third Round and two 3-2 wins in the league over title challengers Kettering Town and relegation battling Barwell FC.

Speaking on the stellar seven day period, Clarke was jubilant;

“What we wanted to do is build momentum, and we’ve achieved three wins in a week which is exactly what you want.

“We definitely needed them to move away from the relegation zone and generate some distance from the lower positions.

“It’s also created some buzz in the dressing room, which we need following some key departures.”

One of the most important aforementioned key departures would be that of Johnny Johnston who, prior to his departure to Buxton of the Vanarama National League North, had been an immense goal-scoring threat for the Reds having accumulated 11 league goals in important moments for United.

However, the Reds are on a run of three home games, three wins, and three goals scored per game. Showcasing that the side is far from one-dimensional.

Clarke claimed his long-term plans are bearing fruit and showed a measured response to his impressive home form, having lost only one out of eight home games at the Valley since rejoining the Reds as manager;

“You want to be strong at home, I think it’s really important that you build off a solid foundation, but the focus is to now replicate that and pick up a few points away, which is vital for our league outcomes.

“We spoke a couple weeks ago about what we needed to do, we’ve brought a couple players in and obviously we’ve been much better, a lot more fluid and we’re a goal threat.

“I think we questioned where the goals were gonna come from after JJ left but we’ve shown that we can score across our last few performances.”

Redditch sit in 11th, dead mid-table, having won 11, lost 11, scored 39 and conceded 40. Making it plain to see how tight the division is, with one goal being able to change the result in seven of the nine times United have dropped points under Clarke.

Clarke identified this as one of the biggest challenges his side will face whilst potentially fighting relegation or pushing for the playoffs, with the remaining fifteen games of the season leaving their future balancing on a knifes edge;

“We’ve spoken in the dressing room and highlighted that the majority of our defeats have been by one goal, apart from the Royston and Bishop’s Stortford games.

“The result of the games swing on just one mistake normally, and if we maintain our hunger for goals with a bit of luck they’ll start swinging our way more often.

“When they do we’ll be ready to seize the opportunities and push up the table, hopefully to chase down a playoff position.”

In their next game the Reds will be on the road to Leiston who sit in eighth just three points ahead of them. With every game being vital for Clarke’s side to climb towards the playoffs Redditch will be raring to go and improve their away form.

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