The Saltmen suffered another surprising defeat on the road on Saturday as Wolverhampton Sporting, who hadn't played a game in 2024 and had won just one game in their last 10 (having lost the other 9) outfoxed Spa to claim an important 3 points in their battle to avoid relegation.

Droitwich were injury ravaged going into the fixture; so much so that Matt Oliver came out of retirement to fill the 5th seat on the substitutes' bench.
There were a further two or three of Andy Crowthers' starting 11 carrying knocks after a heavy couple of games against Kidderminster Harriers and OJM Black Country.

However the Saltmen showed no signs of fatigue and they came blistering out of the blocks and dominated the first half an hour of the encounter.
From the kick off, the ball was worked down the left flank and Nathan Binner's deep cross was on a plate for Archie Woodall, but he headed wide from just a couple of yards out.

Charlie Tilley had the next effort of note, as his 20-yard drive was deflected wide. From the following corner, Tilley crashed an effort against the cross-bar.

Sporting struggled to break out of their own half in the opening 30 minutes, and Binner hit an effort wide from a decent position, then Wolves were indebted to Fortune Sibanda, who's clearance denied Connor Collins a simple tap-in.

Collins, who had scored 4 goals in his last 2 games, then had a half chance on 20 minutes but his header went just the wrong side of Cooksey's goal as the home stopper, whilst being closer to the action, wasn't forced into a save in the first period.

Droitwich's chances dried up, and on 35 minutes the hosts took the lead with their first attack.
Jackson's foul on Sibanda out wide lead to a routine free kick which was swung into the Droitwich area where Sam Baxter rose highest to guide a header into the back of the net against a static Spa defence.

Worse was yet to come as just 2 minutes later, Woodall's loose pass on the halfway line was cut out, and with Droitwich out of shape Jack Arnold raced on to the loose ball and fired across Rogerson to double Sporting's lead.

The Saltmen looked shell-shocked and the game petered out into a midfield battle with no further chances until the half time whistle.

Droitwich struggled to build any kind of momentum in the early stages of the second half despite controlling possession.
Callum Green had the first chance but his free header went wide.
The hosts replied almost immediately when some trickery and a great ball in from Gomes down the right found Omorodion, but with just Rogerson to beat he fired straight at the Droitwich stopper, who soon after had to be substituted for Matt Oliver.

Baxter then expertly cleared from close range Josh Hurdman's whipped cross and then it was Perry Moss's turn to hit the cross-bar from 20-yards out.
Wolves defended well throughout the half, but Collins finally forced Cooksey in to a low save from a free kick, and then from Moss's drive was parried away.

Droitwich did get a goal back when a poor clearance from Cooksey caught Sporting out of shape, and stand-in striker Alex Dugmore pounced to finish well and give the Saltmen hope.

Collins then missed a great opportunity to equalise when he headed wide from an ideal position and Cooksey came to the rescue to deny Tilley.
The final chance of the game fell to Josh Hurdman who's powerful effort was well off target to end a frustrating afternoon for Droitwich who drop to 4th in the table, and missed the chance to make up some ground on the other play-off rivals who dropped points.

Next Saturday, Spa have a tough test with a long trip to Ingles (ko 3pm).
The Leicestershire side have won their last two games 5-0, and haven't conceded a goal for 340 minutes, and with Saturday's victory leap-frogged Droitwich into 3rd position.

The Saltmen won the reverse fixture 4-1 before Christmas, and still have games in hand on the sides around them.

Meanwhile Andy Crowther will be hoping to have more of his squad fit and available for the trip to Ingles over the course of this week.