League leaders Droitwich lose unbeaten record as Southall earns Bloxwich first three points - The Droitwich Standard
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League leaders Droitwich lose unbeaten record as Southall earns Bloxwich first three points

Droitwich Editorial 18th Sep, 2016 Updated: 17th Oct, 2016   0

A BELOW-PAR performance from Droitwich Spa saw the Midland League Division Two leaders succumb to their first defeat of the season at the hands of basement club Bloxwich Town.

Just a week after picking up their first point of the season against Smithswood Firs, Ashley Southall’s 54th-minute strike ensured the Black Country-based visitors prevailed in a feisty encounter at the King George Playing Fields on Saturday (September 17).

Despite having several chances of their own, Spa lacked a cutting edge to their gameplay against a resilient Bloxwich side who fully deserved their first three points of the season.

The victory brought an end to Spa’s five-game unbeaten league run and it’s the second time this season Bloxwich have got one over on their Worcestershire counterparts after knocking Wayne Oliver’s and Mark Owen’s side out of the Les James Challenge Cup at the end of August.




Spa had started the brighter of the two sides and Nick Seabourne probably should have put them ahead in the tenth minute but a lack of composure saw the midfielder lash wide from close range after being played through on goal following some neat work between James Lemon and Luke Molloy.

Seabourne again had further opportunities to put the Saltmen ahead but he saw a well-hit volley from the edge of the area easily saved in the 15th minute before his superb near post header four minutes later was met by the strong right hand of Bloxwich keeper John Griffiths to turn it round the post.


As the game progressed, Bloxwich slowly forced themselves into the game as Ryan Wood and Sam Bennett fired wide from the edge of the area before Dean Williams spurned a glorious opportunity to put the visitors ahead in the 40th minute.

After being played through one on one, Spa keeper Matthew Oliver saved brilliantly to deny the striker before Adam Granger cleared the danger as Bloxwich pushed for the opening goal.

Seabourne had the final chance of the first half in the fourth minute of stoppage time but he could only slice his effort wide of the mark.

After the break, it was Bloxwich who came out the traps fastest and in the 54th minute, the perfect counter attack from a Spa corner saw the visitors take the lead.

Southall picked up the ball on the edge of his own area and strode into Spa’s half with ease before setting Williams free down the right. Williams then returned the favour to the still sprinting defender who smashed home from six yards out despite Oliver getting two hands to the ball.

And it was almost 2-0 to the visitors in the 65th minute as Southall’s long ball was expertly controlled by Wood who skipped past his man on the right side of goal before firing a fizzing shot which forced a smart save out of the Spa stopper.

Griffiths was then called into action two minutes later as a good save denied the ever-advancing Lemon before the crossbar prevented Seabourne’s header from levelling the score in the same breath.

Seabourne continued to be at the forefront of scoring opportunities but a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal saw a trio of shots failing to trouble Griffiths.

However, Griffiths almost cost his side the game in the 79th minute as the referee awarded an indirect free-kick for holding on to the ball too long but Brighton could only drill his close-range effort into the wall.

With the game thinning out, Spa were constantly left frustrated by the final ball as Bloxwich continued to sit back and soak up all the pressure before two fantastic saves denied a frustrated Max Crisp from bringing the Saltmen level with just six minutes remaining.

Lemon then hit the side netting in the first minute of injury time to sum up a dismal day for Spa who never really got going and were constantly thwarted by Griffiths in the Bloxwich goal.

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