AARON Bishop’s goal sent Redditch United through to the Worcestershire Senior Cup final at the expense of rivals Bromsgrove Sporting.
Bishop haunted his former club to settle the derby clash with a first-half strike at the Valley Stadium.
Redditch stretched their unbeaten run against Sporting to nine matches which includes eight wins and a draw.
And the Reds will play Worcester City in the final of the competition in April at Evesham United’s Spiers and Hartwell Stadium ground.
United went close early on as Matty Warburton delivered a low cross into the box from the right and Bishop blazed a shot over the bar from close range on the stretch.
However, the Reds broke the deadlock on 18 minutes when Bishop scrambled the ball home from close range after Bromsgrove failed to clear their lines following a corner from the left.
The home side remained on top as Loughlan curled a shot narrowly wide from 25-yards out after he cut in from the right.
Redditch also spurned a glorious chance to double their lead as Alex Cameron fired over from 10-yards out after Loughlan’s pass deflected kindly into his path.
Sporting responded with a chance at the other end when goalkeeper Rory Brown launched a kick up the pitch and Luke Benbow lifted a shot over onrushing Reds stopper Stan Amos and inches past the post.
Brown then kept the visitors in the contest as he also kept out Warburton’s free-kick from the left-hand edge of the penalty area.
Chances were at a premium in the second half as the Reds withstood some late Bromsgrove pressure to book their place in the final.
Redditch are next in action against St Ives Town on Saturday, March 7 with kick-off at 3pm at the Valley Stadium.
