A SHANE Blackmore goal four minutes from time wasn't enough to prevent Chippenham Town slipping to defeat in their second game of the new season last night.

After a goalless first half, hosts Redditch United hit a purple patch in the first quarter of an hour after the break to see off Mark Collier's Bluebirds.

Chippenham were without two members of their back four from last Saturday's 2-0 win at Biggleswade Town, with Conor McCormack nursing a shoulder injury and stand-in skipper Matt Coupe out with an ankle injury. The latter's organisational skills were sorely missed at the heart of defence.

Chippenham might have taken a sixth-minute lead when a long clearance found Luke Ballinger, who headed over advancing keeper Sam Hornby, but the effort lacked power and Redditch defender Calum Flanagan was able to race back and clear the ball off the line - it was to prove Chippenham's only effort on target until Blackmore's goal.

Redditch were equally ineffective in the opening period until two late long-distance shots from Ashley Sammons.

The hosts announced their intentions shortly after the break as Sammons shot narrowly wide and Kent Kauppinen saved the Bluebirds as he dived on the ball to thwart Jamie Molyneux.

But the lanky United striker soon had his revenge as Chippenham lost the ball in midfield and it was swiftly knocked forward to Molyneux, who poked past Kauppinen to make it 1-0.

Five minutes later, a mix up between two visiting defenders saw the ball canon into Molyneux's path and he made no mistake from just inside the area.

Boss Collier rang the changes, which included pushing Blackmore from defence to up front, and the move almost paid immediate dividends as his overhead shot was just off-target.

Four minutes from time, a combination of Alex Ferguson and Lee Phillips set up Blackmore to reduce the arrears with a right-footed shot from fifteen yards.

As the home defence began to panic, two sliced clearances flew just wide of goal and in stoppage-time, Greg Tindle's header from a corner went straight to Hornby as the Bluebirds were beaten.

CHIPPENHAM TOWN: Kent Kauppinen, Ellis Dunton (Tyron Leigh 67), Jon Beeden, Shane Blackmore, Greg Tindle, Iain Harvey, Zac Evans (Toby Osman 60), Jordan Roberts, Luke Ballinger (Omar Simpson 60), Lee Phillips, Alex Ferguson.

Sub not used: Pete Monks

Referee: Mark Billingham

Attendance: 217

Yellow card: Harvey (70, foul).

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