DROITWICH Spa secured a remarkable 3-1 win against Worcester City in the Worcestershire Senior Cup despite playing most of the game with 10-men
Goals from Charlie Tilley, Roland Krol and Nathan Binner stunned Hellenic League Premier leaders Worcester after Callum Green’s early dismissal at the King George Playing Fields.
And a bumper crowd of 949 spectators were treated to a superb Spa performance as Andy Crowther deployed a high line to great effect.
A flash point arose as early as the 10th minute with Liam Lockett shown a yellow card following a tussle with Alex Dugmore.
And Spa’s Jack Brighton then received a yellow card after bringing down Lockett on the edge of the penalty area with the Worcester man set to burst into the box.
The game turned on 18 minutes when Green saw red with the referee deeming the Spa player to be the last man despite appearing to win the ball in a challenge with Elliott Hartley.
However, despite playing with a man less, Spa took the lead on 28 minutes when Tilley stooped to loop a header over Worcester goalkeeper Haydn Whitcombe from Perry Moss’s cross.
Worcester almost drew level from the restart as Hartley smashed an effort against the underside of the crossbar with the officials deeming the ball to have bounced down onto the line but not over.
City were then denied by an excellent save from Joel Chadwick as the Spa keeper kept out Izak Reid’s powerful effort when one-on-one.
However, the visitors eventually equalised on 40 minutes when Lockett beat the offside trap before bursting through and producing a cool finish into the bottom left corner.
City wasted the first chance of the second period as Connor Gater shot well wide after getting in behind the Spa defence.
Spa responded later in the half as Whitcombe tipped Moss’s dangerous cross from the right to safety.
And the Saltmen then took the lead on 67 minutes when Krol’s bullet header at the near post found the top left corner from Binner’s corner.
The home side remained a threat from set-pieces as Dugmore saw a header saved from a corner before Binner’s audacious effort clipped the top of the crossbar.
And Droitwich then won a penalty after James Lemon beat Whitcombe to a loose ball in the box and the Worcester keeper took the striker’s legs away.
Binner coolly rolled home the resulting penalty on 81 minutes to all but secure Spa’s place in the next round.
Droitwich comfortably saw out the remaining minutes as the Saltmen dumped higher division Worcester out of the Senior Cup for the second season running.
