REDDITCH United reeled off a third straight win this week when snatching a 2-1 success over Rushall Olympic.

Substitute Mike Nelson nabbed a 82nd minute winner for the Reds after new signing Ahmed Ali had crowned his debut by opening the scoring after just four minutes.

Reds manager Paul Smith couldn't hide his delight but insisted: "I don't want anyone going overboard at the moment.

"We've improved massively but I've told everybody to keep their feet on the ground and be realistic.

"We're not the finished article by any means. Since taking charge, we've brought in 13 players. The core of the squad is now in place, but we've not cracked it yet!"

Tuesday night's triumph over Rushall was made all the more compelling as it singled the return of former Reds boss Liam McDonald - a point not lost on Smith who quipped: "Liam and I are good friends and I said to him afterwards 'it's good to send you home with your tail between your legs'."

Smith singled out his central defenders Andy Parsons and Rob Evans for particular praise.

He said: "We were under intense pressure in the second half and it was like 'The Alemo' at times. But the pair of them were outstanding and I always thought we'd get a chance at some point to add a second goal.

"We hit them on the break, with Mike Nelson coming off the bench for the second time this week to score.

"Ahmed Ali was also excellent. We've had to wait 28 days before we could get him involved, even though the deal was set up some time ago. He's been itching to play and will make a big difference to the midfield."

Redditch suffer the frustration of having no match this coming Saturday owing to proposed opponents Kettering's involvement in the FA Cup.

Instead the Reds will have to wait until they entertain Rugby Town on Tuesday night in the Birmingham Senior Cup.

Smith will be tempted to field a strong side and said: "We want to keep the momentum going, although there will be one or two changes against Rugby.

"The most important thing at the moment is the fact we've changed the mood of the place. It was all doom and gloom when we arrived, but now we've managed to put a few smiles on people's faces and it feels good."