FOLLOWING THE SALTMEN

Uhlsport Hellenic League Division One

Tuesday 14 January 2025

The world is a mysterious place. Full of puzzles and contradictions. How did Stone Age man (or woman, or any of the newer genders) manage to get those bloody great blue stones from South Wales to Wiltshire and turn them into a henge? Where is Lord Lucan? What is the minimum requirement to be called a celebrity? Who stole my video recorder in 1993? David Lammy, Foreign Secretary!!!???

So who could possibly have predicted the outcome of this a game with more twists and turns than a really big twisty-turny thing? With 5 minutes of the game remaining I predicted the Saltmen would concede a late winner and the night end in disappointment. Clearly, I was wrong but with Spa down to 9 men and Borough finishing the game very strongly you wouldn’t find many within the travelling hordes of rossoneri who would have disagreed.

Step forward Jack Davies.

With two players in the sin bin and, having surrendered a two goal lead, a loose ball fell to JD about 30 yards out from goal in a fairly central position. The prodigal returning son had eyes for only one thing and unleashed shock and awe in the form of a cruise missile of a drive which was guided through a crowd of players and beyond the hapless Joe Neeson in the Borough goal sending the Saltmen into rapturous celebrations. What a goal and what a moment!

It was a big night for the Redditch club. A top of the table clash with near neighbours and the switching on of the club’s new floodlights. The game started well for the hosts and took the lead on 6 minutes. Spa gradually worked themselves into contention and within 10 minutes had drawn level with an excellent 18 yard strike. Two minutes later, Spa top scorer Alex Dugmore gave Spa the lead with a great strike and the Saltmen took charge of the game. On the half hour, Perry Moss added to the Spa tally when finishing neatly after Neeson had foiled his first attempt. The three points looked sure to be coming to Droitwich. But it was too early to start counting chickens (Nil, if you’re interested). Redditch were a constant threat and pulled a goal back with 2 minutes. Then on 42 minutes, Borough were bizarrely awarded a free kick on the edge of the box which was struck cleanly past Joe Stockton. We reached half- time level at 3-3.

Spa started the second half strongly and regained the lead with 4 minutes of the second half gone. The terrier like tenacity of Charlie Tilley took him into the area before unleashing an unstoppable strike past Neeson.

It was not a performance the former Droitwich stopper will want to remember. On 55 minutes he misjudged the bounce (or lack of) from a relatively weak Nathan Binner shot which went through the keepers legs and Spa had a 5-3 lead.

But the game was far from finished. The game swung again. Borough restored parity with goals on 80 and 88 minutes. During this period, Spa lost Jack Brighton and Jamie Sauntson to the sinbin. This brings us back to that Jack Davies moment and a 5-6 win.

A great win for the Saltmen sees them open up a 9 point gap over second placed Wantage.

Next up, on a Saturday, another game against fellow title challengers Abingdon.

See you there.

Cheers

Steve