Droitwich Spa registered an important 3-1 victory at home to play-off chasing Shortwood United on Saturday, to extend their unbeaten run to five games in all competitions and remain six points clear at the top of the table, with three games in hand on 2nd placed Wantage Town as well as superior goal difference.

A torrential downpour half an hour before kick off made the playing surface at Kingy's far from ideal for a neat passing game, and the opening twenty minutes was cagey with both teams getting to grips with the conditions as well as each other, and there were no noteworthy chances.

Then, from nowhere, Perry Moss cut inside from the flank, rode a challenge and hit a low effort from 25-yards out that squirmed under United 'keeper Luke Davies and into the bottom corner.
That sparked Shortwood into life and they almost got an immediate equaliser as a strike from top scorer Alfie Bloomer took a deflection that forced a superb reaction save from Dom Rogerson in the Spa goal to deny him.

Droitwich started to find their rhythm but a well organised Shortwood defence snuffed out the threat, and the Saltmen continued to try their luck from range yet failed to hit the target.

Spa doubled their lead on the stroke of half time when a perfect cross-field ball looped over the head Fin Byrnes into Josh Hurdman's path, the winger dribbled around his marker and slotted home calmly into the far corner of the net.

Droitwich controlled the game well in the second half and minimised opportunities for the visitors to apply pressure, and whilst as a spectacle the game won't live long in the memory, Andy Crowther's men went 3-0 ahead on 71 minutes as Josh Hurdman turned provider as a superb ball from deep by Sam Carey put him in behind the defence, a pin-point cross to the back post found an un-marked Alex Dugmore who made no mistake in heading home from close range for his 28th goal of the season in 30 appearances.

Spa's leading scorer had a good chance to further increase the margin but he headed off target when well positioned after Moss's cross.
His replacement Kyonn Evans also fired over, whilst another substitute Matt Fusco shot directly at Davies with James Lemon better placed for a simple finish.

It was the visitors who had the final say as they pulled a goal back on 90 minutes.
An otherwise faultless Spa defence switched off from a throw-in, the ball was worked into the box and Elliot Martin was there to finish well from close range.

With other sides in the play-offs dropping points, it was an important three points against tricky opposition for Andy Crowther's men, who will be odds on favourites to win the League and claim a first ever promotion to Step 5.
It will be far from easy, as Droitwich now have a run of 8 successive away games in all competitions, starting on Saturday with a testing trip to South Gloucestershire to face Chipping Sodbury Town (ko 3pm).
However, Spa are the only team in the Division with an unbeaten away record, so they will be confident that this run of form on the road will help them maintain the momentum as we reach the final weeks of the season.