REDDITCH United remain without an away win since October after the Reds were edged out 1-0 at Barwell to stretch their winless run on the road to nine matches.
Ben Hart scored the game’s only goal just past the hour-mark at Kirkby Road as Redditch were made to rue Riley O’Sullivan’s missed chance in the opening five minutes.
The result leaves Redditch in 10th place in the Southern League Premier Central table and Reds boss Matt Clarke was left disappointed following a flat performance in Leicestershire.
Clarke said: “We’ve not won an away game for five months, for whatever reason we cannot get a result away from home.
“We were flat, we haven’t turned up, Barwell were by far the better team, neither team created a lot, we never got going.
“They were first to everything, in terms of possession we were poor, we didn’t get to grips with them at all and I think they fully deserved to beat us.
“It’s really disappointing because over the season we just don’t seem to be able to kick on, we get a couple of decent results and then we become our own worst enemies.
“It’s a mindset that we have, I’ve got players in the dressing room who struggle to have consistency, that’s why we’re a mid-table team.
“The support has been fantastic all season, we’ve still got a lot to play for, the target has always been to finish in the top-10, if we put in performances like that then we certainly won’t.”
The Reds spurned a golden chance to take the lead early on when O’Sullivan beat the covering defender and goalkeeper to the ball but was unable to turn home Bernard Mensah’s cross.
Barwell had the better of the game thereafter and deservedly took the lead on 61 minutes when Hart reacted quickest to tap home a loose ball after Adam Harrison could only parry Oisin Gallagher’s shot into the scorer’s path.
Redditch are next in action away at Kings Langley on Saturday, March 11 with kick-off at 3pm at Gaywood Park.
