FOLLOWING THE SALTMEN

Hellenic League Premier Division

11 April 2026

The Saltmen faced a steep uphill task at the start of this Hellenic League Premier fixture. Not only was this the closest away fixture of the season but also the opposition are keen contenders for one of the four playoff places.

Then there was the pitch itself. The notorious slope on the playing area at the home of the Worcestershire FA would make Hilary and Tenzing think twice before dusting off the crampons. And it was this incline that Spa had to climb in the first half. It was immediately clear that this would be an entirely different performance to the one we witnessed on Monday. From minute one, the midfield axis of Tilley and Rudd took control. Tireless, intelligent and determined, the Spa pair dominated in the centre of the park, picking up every loose ball and 50/50 challenge before using the ball cleverly and effectively. Spa also looked dangerous out wide with both Perry Moss and Josh Hurdman tormenting the Raiders full backs. Nathan Binner and Alex Dugmore ran themselves into the ground, making life difficult for dual Jordan centre back combination of Stodart and his, surprisingly, makeshift partner Murphy. The invariably excellent Jordan Murphy is perhaps the Raiders most potent attacking asset and the sight of him lining up in the back four must have lifted the spirits of all in the Droitwich camp.

The first half was a frenetic, nonstop affair with Spa coming out on top of most challenges, despite some utterly mystifying refereeing decisions.

It took only 6 minutes for Spa to record the opening goal. Some fantastic work from Binner resulted in a ball deftly lifted over a statistic Raiders defence. Josh Hurdman was alive to the opportunity and followed the ball with his close range finish ensuring an early lead for the Saltmen and marking Josh’s 50th goal for his hometown club!

Raiders had half chances but could not break through with some profligate finishing and strong goalkeeping denying the hosts an equaliser.

A recurring hale storm and blustery winds helped neither players nor supporters but both sides contributed to an entertaining 45 minutes of play and Spa reached half time with the one goal lead.

We sought refreshment in the clubhouse. Carelessly, we had failed to pre-book a table at the Raiders Bar and Grill and had to make do with a £4.50 can of Strongbow, which is not bad value when you amortise the price down to 1.1p per millilitre, which sounds much better and the players’ wages won’t pay themselves!

The second half started with the hosts clearly looking to slow the pace down a bit. Droitwich coped with this tactical change and now had the advantage of playing downhill. The dominance of the Spa midfield continued and it looked like it would take something special for the hosts to get back in the game. Sadly, that’s exactly what we got. On 65 minutes, Jake Collins took possession of the ball somewhere near Perdiswell Leisure Centre and unleashed an absolute worldy into the top left corner, giving Joe Stockton no chance. Out of nowhere the game was all square.

Droitwich appeared to retake the lead instantly as Nathan Binner adroitly chipped the ball over the advancing Emery in the Raiders goal only to see the linesman raise his flag in what must have been a very close offside decision. We needn’t have worried.

Commeth the 81st minute, commeth the man, as the saying goes. The hosts had been reduced to ten after skipper Murphy saw a second yellow for upending Alex Dugmore then holding onto the prone striker’s leg to stop him getting up. They could have used that extra man to look after Duggers for the 81st minute corner from the left. Doing what he does best, Duggers met the cross with a trademark bullet header and Spa had regained the lead.

Five minutes later the result was settled. It is unclear whether Jay Sauntson’s piledriver from close range had crossed the line or whether the raiders defender had managed to punch it clear. No matter the parry rebounded to Ben Tilbury whose no doubter secured a deserved three points for the visitors.

It was a great all round performance from the Saltmen. Not a weak link among them from one through to eleven they were magnificent. Pleasingly, the quality didn’t dip when the substitutes were introduced. So who gets the much coveted Following the Saltmen Man of the Match award? In fairness, I could justifiably give it to any of the starting eleven but on this occasion Charlie Tilley takes the honours just shading Perry Moss, who was back to his industrious best. Charlie just put in his most complete performance of the season. His energy and ability to make the right decision at the right time took the wind out of the Raiders’ sails and tipped the balance to Spa’s advantage.

I can’t tell you how many people were present at the game because Raiders never disclose their attendance figures. One can only assume the reason for this. Nevertheless, I estimate about 75% were there Following the Saltmen.

The result means Spa are confirmed as having reached the playoffs. Ideally they will win their last two games to ensure home advantage.

Next up, we travel to Westfields for our final away game of the regular season on Tuesday 14th April. It would be good to see you there…

Cheers

FTS