By Steve Pinder
Spa put on a spirited performance on Saturday but fell just short over the ninety minutes.

Injuries, illness and suspensions have stretched the Droitwich playing resources to their limits. The team arrived in Hereford with every player available to manager Quentin Townsend on the team sheet …. and even then there was still an empty seat on the bench!

However, the Saltmen left such issues in the changing rooms putting in a strong first half hour, dominating possession and creating the better chances on what looked like a very good playing surface at Allpay Park.
The Spa midfield of Moss, Rudd, Binner and Morris all looking strong, striker Alex Dugmore made life difficult for the Westfields back four with his usual strong aerial presence and 16 year old Ed Bridge putting in some strong runs looking to feed off his strike partners flicks. While this may not have led directly to goals, enough pressure was placed on the hosts to prevent them from creating many chances of their own.

As the first half progressed, the home side grew into the game and the balance of play shifted.
Ironically, given Spa’s limited personnel, the Westfields side contained five former Droitwich players, with four of them in the starting line-up. Inevitably, it was one of those players who opened the scoring. A striker of Dan Cottrill’s quality needs no second chances and made no mistake when he found himself unmarked in front of goal in the 41st minute to put Westfields in front.

The home side grabbed a second goal just before the hour mark, when another former Spa player, James Baldwin doubled the Westfields’ lead.
At 2-0 down, Spa looked destined for defeat but what the Saltmen lacked in numbers they made up for in drive and determination. With 66 minutes played, half time replacement George Dalton beat him man, took the ball to the by-line before whipping in a pinpoint cross right on to Alex Dugmore’s forehead. The Droitwich number nine met the ball perfectly and his header from eight yards thundered past Matt Gwynne in the Westfields goal to reduce the deficit to one.

Spa kept their feet on the gas, pressing for an equaliser but Gwynne and his defence held firm until the visitors had a rare stroke of luck.
On 79 minutes, what looked like an excellent tackle from a Westfield defender on the edge of the box, was penalised. The decision looked harsh but Perry Moss was not in the mood for mercy as his inch perfect free kick was bent round the defensive wall into the top corner, past Gwynne’s despairing dive. The scores were level and Droitwich were in the mood for more.

In the wake of the equaliser, Westfields replaced Jack Cresswell with Tyrese Bhekumuzi. The late substitute then benefitted from some below par Spa defensive work almost immediately, failing to clear the ball then allowing the Westfields replacement to receive the ball too close to goal and he punished the lapse to retake the lead for the hosts.

Droitwich, stung by the setback went back on the attack, laying siege to the Westfields goal. A series of dangerous corners forced Gwynne into a desperate rear-guard action, scrambling the ball over the bar on more than one occasion. But, the home defence held firm until the final whistle to claim all three points.

It was a strong performance from a determined Spa side who can consider themselves a little unlucky to get nothing from a game in which they often looked the better side even without the influential absentees.