DROITWICH Spa bowed out of the Worcestershire Senior Cup after conceding two late goals in a 3-1 defeat against local rivals Bromsgrove Sporting.
Spa more than held their own against a Sporting side who play three divisions higher as Kieran Cook and Shaquille Leachman-Whittingham struck late on to settle the game at the King George Playing Fields.
That came after Perry Moss drew Droitwich level on 71 minutes as his brave finish cancelled out Theo Robinson’s early opener in the first competitive meeting between the two teams for more than 12 years.
The game’s first meaningful chance fell to Sporting as Spa goalkeeper Dom Rogerson pushed Cook’s powerful shot behind for a corner after the latter cut in from the left.
At the other end, Spa launched a counter attack as Josh Hurdman fired wide from distance with Sporting goalkeeper Charlie McNamara off his line.
Bromsgrove broke the deadlock on 12 minutes when Robinson turned the ball home from close range after Dylan Thomas’s initial effort deflected kindly into the scorer’s path despite Spa appealing for offside.
Moments later, Matt Jackson produced a superb goalline clearance to keep out Robinson’s header before Rogerson tipped Aaron Roberts’ effort from distance behind.
Spa went close at the other end as Jack Brighton cut into the box from the right and saw his low curling effort saved by McNamara as Charlie Tilley’s follow-up came back off the crossbar.
Droitwich made a promising start to the second half as Moss saw his effort from distance held by McNamara.
And the home side remained on top as Sporting made a last-ditch interception to prevent Moss from flashing a ball across the face of goal.
McNamara then parried Hurdman’s powerful free-kick before the same player sent a free header over the bar from a corner moments later.
However, Spa made their pressure count on 71 minutes when Moss bravely slid in at the back post to turn home Hurdman’s pass.
The Saltmen almost completed a late turnaround only for Moss’s curling shot from 25-yards out to land on the roof of the net.
However, Sporting won the game with four minutes left to play when Cook planted a bullet header into the top right corner from substitute Callum King-Harmes’ perfect cross from the right.
And the Rouslers sealed their place in the next round in injury time when substitute Leachman-Whittingham finished past Rogerson at the third attempt after the latter superbly denied the former before King-Harmes hit the post.
