DROITWICH Spa secured a memorable 3-0 win against local rivals Worcester City in front of a record crowd of 972 spectators in the Worcestershire Senior Cup.
Connor Collins’ penalty, Alex Dugmore’s header and a fine solo goal from Perry Moss settled the game before half time at the King George Playing Fields.
Spa showed their class in the first ever competitive meeting between the two clubs as Droitwich dumped last year’s finalists out of the Cup at the first hurdle.
The game’s first chance fell to Worcester when Cam Monteith found early substitute George Baker in space as the midfielder shot narrowly wide of the left-hand post.
Droitwich responded with a chance of their own as James Lemon pounced on a poor clearance before shooting wide from distance.
And Spa were awarded a penalty when Dugmore was pushed over in the box by Courtney Richards at a set piece.
Collins coolly slotted the resulting spot kick into the bottom right corner on 26 minutes, sending the Worcester goalkeeper the wrong way, and celebrated with the Spa faithful.
The Saltmen almost scored again soon after when Jack Davies headed inches wide from Jack Brighton’s teasing cross.
And Spa doubled their lead on 36 minutes when Dugmore timed his run to perfection and planted a bullet header past Adam Harrison from Luke Molloy’s corner from the right.
Spa were in dreamland on 43 minutes when Moss collected a loose pass before beating two defenders and producing a clinical finish in off the left-hand post.
Droitwich picked up where they left off after the break as Collins ran onto Lewis Phillips’s driven clearance only to be denied by Harrison from a tight angle.
In a half of few chances, Spa goalkeeper Matt Oliver made his first notable save of the night when he kept out substitute Dylan Parker’s shot with his legs.
Spa went up the other end and almost stretched their lead when Collins beat his man before striking a powerful effort across goal that was saved behind by Harrison.
From the resulting corner, Dugmore had a chance almost identical to his goal in the first half but this time saw his header pushed away by Harrison before Worcester scrambled the ball clear.
Andy Crowther’s side were in complete control and spurned another chance when Moss sent a half volley wide after Harrison miscued a clearance.
City player Cameron Ebbutt was sent to the sin bin for dissent with two minutes left to play which meant Worcester were a man light for the closing stages.
Worcester’s best chances came late on as Parker was twice denied, first by Oliver and then by a defender who blocked the ball behind as Sean Brain sent a free header over from the resulting corner.
Despite playing a division below their opponents, Spa were far superior on an historic night for the club as the Saltmen cruised into the next round with the players cheered off by the supporters at the end.
