NKF Burbage 3-1 Droitwich Spa

The Saltmen made the long trip to Leicestershire and put in their poorest display of the season at the worst possible time.

From the first whistle the very well organised hosts were on top, and three saves in the opening quarter from Matt Oliver denying Jess Adcock twice and Mitch Barwick kept the score at 0-0.

Spa rarely broke in to their opponents half, and on 23 minutes the inevitable happened as a good run and cross down the left from Gradner found Jake Brown who directed his header into the far corner giving Oliver no chance.

Droitwich had elected to go to a long ball game with the fit again Nick Seabourne leading the line, but the hosts snuffed out any hint of danger and goalkeeper Alec Hill did not have a save to make in the first period.

Droitwich had grown in to the game however and after the initial onslaught Burbage were reduced to few chances and the game peetered out.

Spa were looking alot more solid at the back, but still failed to make any serious in-roads into the home back line save for a few corners that were comfortably dealt with.

At the other end Matt Oliver was also untroubled for large parts of the game - his main jobs were picking the ball out of his own net on the hour mark when, with Andy Crowther down with an injury, the hosts took full advantage as a low cross/shot found its way into the net from Alex Coultas and barely ten minutes later the game was put to bed as Jack Whitehurst's overhead kick from 8 yards out gave Oliver no chance.

The Saltmen didn't give up though and got something to show for their efforts when Nick Seabourne drilled home a consolation from the edge of the box with 10 minutes to play, but that was the most they deserved from a below par performance against a composed and well organised NKF Burbage.