A HAT-TRICK from Droitwich Spa’s leading goalscorer James Lemon ensured the Saltmen ran away with all three points at lowly Hampton.
Two first half goals and one 10 minutes from time secured the win for Spa who remain second in the Midland League Division One table, just one point off league leaders Rostance Edwards with a game in hand.
Hampton, who had not played a league game since October, did not get a shot on target throughout the 90 minutes of football, a stat that now leaves them just five points off the bottom two.
Before the afternoon, Spa knew a victory was paramount if they were to have any hopes of keeping up their promotion chances, and from the get-go, they asserted their dominance.
After just three minutes, the Saltmen carved out their first opportunity as from a corner, Mike Seeley nodded the ball down to Nick Seabourne who volleyed wide.
Lemon’s first opportunity of the game came on 10 minutes but from his solo run into the box, he scuffed his shot into the grateful hands of Hampton keeper Eric Hathway.
Desperate defending kept the score at 0-0 after 15 minutes as Macaulay Finch saw his well-driven effort blocked.
Hampton carved out their first chance of the game but could not take it as Simon Hinsley lashed wide from the edge of the area.
The Saltmen were awarded a penalty mid-way through the first half after Jack Brighton was fouled in the area, Lemon stepped up, and slotted home into the bottom right hand corner with aplomb.
Seabourne thought he had doubled the lead just two minutes later but his header was clawed away from goal by Hathway.
However, Hathway’s resistance was broken as Lemon broke free of his marker, rounded the keeper to slot home into an empty net giving the Saltmen a well-deserved 2-0 lead going into the interval.
Following the half time oranges, Bradley Burgess must be wondering how he did not make it 3-0 as his header was superbly saved by Hathway at his near post following a cross from the right.
Lemon missed a glorious opportunity to claim his treble just before the hour mark but his lobbed effort could only hit the side netting.
The crossbar came to the rescue of Hampton soon after as Brighton’s whipped free kick smashed against the upright with the follow up from Finch being hacked off the line.
Hampton probably should have pulled a goal back on the 68th minute but substitute Scott Morrison could only drill his effort wide of the mark after latching on to Karl Fellows’ pin-point long ball over the top.
That miss proved to be a turning point as with only 10 minutes remaining, Lemon bagged his hat-trick and the final goal of the game.
With Hampton passing the ball around at the back, he charged down the keeper, blocked the clearance, before collecting the rebound to tap home from a couple of yards out for his 30th goal of the season, sealing an easy win for the Saltmen.
Spa’s next game sees them travel to Sutton United for the quarter-finals of the Les James Challenge Cup on Saturday, February 27.
