Hampton 1-0 Droitwich Spa

Saltmen taste league defeat for first time on the road

The Saltmen visited high-flying Hampton with a squad suffering from injury, suspensions and unavailability and tasted defeat for the first time on their travels in the Total Motion Midland Football League Division 2.

As a spectacle, the game was not one that will live long in the memory - especially for those from Droitwich as for large parts of this encounter a midfield battle was played out with few chances at either end.

The visitors came quickly out of the blocks and dominated the first half an hour of the game - chances came and went for Burgess, Seabourne, Crisp and Crowther but goalkeeper Andy Gouldstone was rarely troubled.

Hampton the got a foot-hold in the game, enjoying much more possession than in the early stages but once more the 'keeper at the other end Matt Oliver was not worked hard.

The second half continued how the first half ended and both sides were suffering with a poor end product after good build-up play.

Droitwich had a couple of penalty claims turned down with both Seabourne and Szikora-Warmington brought down in the area, and were also caught out time and again by the offside flag as the hosts continued to play a high line.

There was plenty of endeavor from either side as they both tried to win the game, but in the 91st minute, with Spa pushing up & chasing a goal for themselves, a good long ball into the path of Captain Ainsley Seviwright who took on Granger and worked the ball across the pitch via Karl Walker to substitute Elton Papri who, unmarked, took a touch before unleashing a ferocious drive into the far corner of Oliver's net to give Hampton all three points.

It was another late sucker punch for Droitwich who may feel aggrieved at the loss as neither side really deserved to win this dour encounter.