TOMORROW’S match between Droitwich Spa FC and Gornal Colts at Bromsgrove’s Victoria Ground is to go ahead.
But the club has issued this statement, urging anyone attending to take precautions.
In it the directors said they had a duty of care to all of their management, players, supporters and everyone who wished to follow the club during this difficult time with the uncertainty over the coronavirus.
“If you are intending on coming to support us tomorrow, then please take all necessary precautions and help others to stay as safe as possible.”
Saltmen look to create a home away from home in Bromsgrove – Owen
MARK Owen is hopeful a sizeable crowd from Droitwich will roar on his title-chasing side in Saturday’s ‘home’ fixture at Bromsgrove Sporting’s Victoria Ground.
The Saltmen face Gornal Colts at the home of the Southern Premier Central side as a result of the ongoing clean-up operation at Stourport Swift’s Walshes Meadow HQ, which was badly hit by the February floods.
Having been forced to play at ‘home’ in Walsall and Malvern in recent weeks, a trip to Bromsgrove proves another twist in Spa’s season.
Owen, however, is looking forward to the contest as the runaway West Midlands (Regional) Division One leaders aim to extend their 11-point advantage at the top of the table.
“In terms of our situation in recent weeks, having had to play in Walsall, Malvern and now Bromsgrove, every game is a challenge for us,” said the Droitwich manager.
“The club want to thank Bromsgrove for helping us play there. We’re hoping that the people of Droitwich come out and support us as we’re expecting a real challenge.”
While the fifth-placed Colts will present the latest test to Spa’s champion credentials, Droitwich will go into the fixture on a real high after Tuesday night’s emphatic 9-0 drubbing of Bustleholme at Malvern.
Connor Collins scored four and James Lemon got a hat-trick to continue their rivalry at the top of the scoring charts, making it 28 and 22 goals for the season respectively.
Alex Dugmore and Haydn Morris netted the other Spa goals as Owen labelled the performance as one of Droitwich’s best “in terms of goal threat” this season. He used the comparison of their 5-0 win over Wyrley the previous week to demonstrate his point.
“We scored five but missed lots of chances in that game,” he added. “But against Bustleholme our conversion rate from the openings we created was fantastic and was one of the best performances in that respect so far.
“From the outside looking in, it’s clear what we’ve got to do [to win the league title], but there’s still work to do.”
Facing third-bottom Bustleholme at the HDAnywhere Community Stadium in Malvern, the first goal came after just six minutes when Collins buried an audacious strike from distance.
He added his second five minutes later and then tucked home from close range from Ben Tilbury’s initial attempt for his hat-trick.
Lemon was also full of zest, notching his first of the evening on 17 minutes with a strike that left visitors keeper Jake Richards powerless.
Three minutes later Dugmore thumped a header into the roof of the net, while Collins wrapped up his hat-trick on the half-hour mark with another delightful top-corner finish.
Collins made it 6-0 at half-time to put the hosts in cruise control.
The second half was far quieter but Droitwich extended their advantage further through Morris’ tidy finish from the edge of the penalty area on the hour mark. Lemon then wrapped up his hat-trick with two late goals to put Droitwich firmly on cloud nine.
Owen was keen to thank the club’s board for helping Spa fulfil their backlog of fixtures at neutral venues.
“They’ve been fantastic from a players and manager’s point of view,” he said. “They’ve gone above and beyond to get us playing at high-graded stadiums while we’re away from Walshes Meadow.
“As far as we’re concerned, the club have been backing us all the away, so it’s our duty to repay them and keep performing.”
