QUENTIN Townsend admits he ‘learned a lot’ from Droitwich Spa’s opening pre-season friendly against Bishops Cleeve.
Droitwich suffered a 3-0 defeat at Kayte Lane as Jamal Lawrence netted a brace while Charlie Holliday added a third goal for the home side.
All three goals came in the second half following a goalless first period as Spa more than matched their Step Four opponents who play one level higher in the Southern League Division One South.
Townsend took charge of Spa for the first time since his appointment as Droitwich boss earlier this summer and named a 19-player squad for the fixture.
And Townsend insists there is more to come from Spa over the coming weeks in the lead up to the start of the 2026/27 campaign.
Townsend said: “I thought the trip to Bishops Cleeve, a Step Four side that reached the play-offs last season, was a brilliant test for us.
“We started well first half, going in nil-nil with the vast majority of what you would argue is our first team set up on the pitch.
“I would think they had probably a little bit more ball than us, but for sure, we probably had the better chances in the first half.
“We kept our positional sense really well. We didn’t give them any chances. I can’t remember our keeper Dom making a save in the first half to be honest with you.
“Obviously, both teams made substitutions at half-time, and I said the game’s going to open up now as the subs come on and everybody gets a bit tired as the heat starts to take its toll, and that’s exactly what happened.
“We finished the game with quite a lot of our youngsters on and nothing against them but they will have learned a lot from the experience.
“We’ve learned a lot as a management team. Some of them did really, really well.
“So I think the result isn’t indicative, really, of where we were at. I’m very pleased with what I saw, particularly in that first half.
“I think anybody watching that game will be pleasantly surprised with what they’ve seen from us, but there’s certainly much more to come.”
Droitwich continue their pre-season campaign against Slimbridge on Tuesday, July 7 with kick-off at 7.45pm at Thornhill Park.
