DROITWICH Spa battled to a hard-fought three points against Coventry Copsewood on Saturday to make it back-to-back victories in the Midland Football League Division One.

Having gone three games without a win over the New Year period, The Saltmen are now hunting down second-placed Ingles in the race for a home play-off after taking six points from their last two, including Saturday's 2-1 home win.

In a cagey first half it was the visitors who took the lead on 15 minutes when Eden Mukenge broke the offside trap, cut inside and finished well.

The Saltmen replied thanks to a thunderbolt from Josh Hurdman on 23 minutes. Spa’s playmaker picked the ball up, took a touch and from 30-yards out, hit a sublime effort into the top corner to draw the home side level.

The first half continued in the same fashion, with the only effort of note being a long-range Nathan Binner effort which narrowly missed the target.

However, Droitwich scored what proved to be the winning goal just two minutes before half-time as Jack Brighton’s free-kick was flicked on by Connor Collins and a defensive lapse allowed Perry Moss all the time in the world to stroke home into the far corner from close range.

The second half was much more entertaining as both sides created numerous opportunities to add to the score-line; the first chance fell to Josh Hurdman on 46 minutes who fired over after some neat build-up play between Collins, Moss and Nathan Binner.

Copsewood should have drawn level two minutes later as Harvey Wells’ powerful effort from yards out was somehow acrobatically kept out by Ollie Sayer.

Copsewood spurned further excellent chances from Mukenge and Sam Ellis but wayward finishing ultimately cost the visitors at least a share of the spoils.

Droitwich managed the game well and they thought they had a third deep into injury time after Copsewood committed all men forward (including ‘keeper Manuel) before Dugmore broke away, and squared to Hurdman to tap into an empty net, only for the linesman to flag for offside.