JOSH Hurdman’s first-half goal earned Droitwich Spa a 1-0 victory away at Mangotsfield United as the Saltmen stretched their winning run to three matches.
Hurdman scored the game’s only goal on 32 minutes at Cossham Street as Spa claimed back-to-back one-nil victories on the road.
The result means Droitwich sit second in the Hellenic League Premier Division table, two points behind leaders Roman Glass St George with three games in hand.
However, second-placed Slimbridge sit two points behind Spa with three games in hand on Andy Crowther’s side.
The game took place on a 3G surface while Spa’s visit drew Mangotsfield’s biggest home crowd of the season so far.
Mangotsfield spurned a glorious chance to take the lead after just two minutes as James White somehow fired over the crossbar from point-blank range after good work from Kyrese Morrison down the left.
Spa responded with a chance at the other end as Cory Rudd’s through ball released James Lemon who saw his first time shot palmed to safety by Mangotsfield goalkeeper Josh Dempsey.
And Dempsey then kept out Lemon’s free-kick soon after with the Droitwich captain making his 350th appearance for the club.
White wasted another chance to put the home side ahead as the legs of Spa goalkeeper Joe Stockton kept the game level.
Stockton then twice denied Morrison after the latter beat the offside trap on two occasions.
However, Spa went close at the other end just past the half-hour mark as Hurdman’s strike came back off the post as Mangotsfield cleared the ball behind.
The home side could only half clear the resulting corner as the ball broke to Hurdman who fired a shot through a crowd of bodies and into the bottom corner.
Droitwich rode their luck before the break with Morrison unable to find the target on three occasions when well-placed.
The Saltmen went closest after the break as Dempsey denied Hurdman a second goal from another low drive.
Mangotsfield almost drew level with five minutes left to play as Jacob Spence saw his bullet header crash against the woodwork.
However, Spa held on to claim a first win on a 3G pitch this season with the Saltmen unbeaten on the road in the league since November.
Droitwich are next in action against Worcester Raiders in the Wiseman Lighting Floodlit Cup on Tuesday, January 13 with kick-off at 7.45pm at the Diary of a Debt Collector Stadium.
