A DEPLETED Worcester Raiders side produced their “best performance of the season” to defeat lowly Old Wulfrunians 2-0 at Claines Lane.

Goals from Martin Fowler and Roland Krol secured maximum points for Raiders who climbed to second in West Midlands (Regional) League Division One.

Manager Karl Gormley was delighted with his men as the city side were without six first-team regulars.

“Matt Tyler, Alex Marsh and Logan Stoddart were all at the same wedding and Josh Weatherby was on holiday,” Gormley said.

“Tyler Atwood had a car crash on the way to the game and Sam Carey was ill.

“Last season we would not have been able to cope with that so considering we had all those players out and still got a result that’s our best performance of the season by far.”

In a tight first half Raiders broke the deadlock five minutes before the interval when Paul Smith’s free-kick was saved and Fowler netted the rebound.

Goalkeeper Lewis Pinches kept the hosts in front with a couple of fine stops before 18-year-old striker Krol found the top corner with a superb 25-yard strike late on.

Gormley added: “Roland deserved a chance and he was really happy to score.

“We spotted him playing for Eaton on a Sunday morning, asked him to come training with us and he has been brilliant.

“We have a lot of young lads but not many at Roland’s age are quite ready for that league.

“If they are, they are already playing for someone else so he was quite a good find.”

Droitwich Spa sit one place behind Raiders in third after storming to a 4-0 success over Sikh Hunters at Stourport’s Walshes Meadow.

The visitors were made to rue their missed chances as Jack Davies squeezed the ball home on 38 minutes before Matty Hunt headed in a second just before half-time.

Bradley Burgess's goal-bound shot was diverted into the net by Ash Smith as the Saltmen moved 3-0 ahead.

Droitwich then scored the goal of the game with just over 10 minutes to go. Haydn Morris's pinpoint free kick found James Lemon who rose highest to power in an unstoppable header.

In the Premier Division, Malvern Town beat Shawbury United 2-0 at the HDanywhere Community Stadium.

Goalkeeper Charlie Weaver saved an early penalty from Liam Taylor before James Febery opened the scoring on 42 minutes with a powerful drive.

Town doubled their advantage on 83 minutes when a break involving Matt Turner and Harry Clark saw the ball find Joshua Hunt who was able to fire home from inside the area.