PERSHORE Town suffered a 4-1 defeat against rivals Droitwich Spa in a game overshadowed by an injury to Nigel Hinkulow.
The Plums halved the deficit in the first period courtesy of Reece Day’s goal at the King George Playing Fields.
However, strikes from Ben Tilbury, Perry Moss, James Lemon and substitute Josh Hurdman earned Spa the Wychavon derby bragging rights.
Pershore also had defender Hinkulow stretchered off just past the half-hour mark following an injury which required lengthy treatment.
The result means Pershore sit 12th in the Hellenic League Premier Division table.
The game kicked-off following a Remembrance ceremony as both clubs observed a two-minute silence.
Spa broke the deadlock on 17 minutes when Jack Davies jinked his way into the box and drew a foul from a Pershore defender.
And Tilbury duly sent the Pershore goalkeeper the wrong way from the penalty spot as the Saltmen took an early lead.
The visitors spurned a golden chance to draw level soon after as Calum Harper failed to beat Spa goalkeeper Dom Rogerson in a one-on-one situation.
And Droitwich doubled their lead on 21 minutes when Moss saw his effort parried into the net by Pershore stopper Joe Cunneen.
However, Pershore halved the deficit just two minutes later as Day calmly found the bottom corner from Hinkulow’s pass.
Hinkulow then suffered a serious injury on 34 minutes which saw the defender receive close to 50 minutes of treatment before he left the field on a stretcher.
After play resumed, Spa restored their two-goal cushion in first-half injury time as Lemon raced clear and finished past Cunneen following a flowing team move.
The Saltmen sealed the points on 74 minutes when Lemon’s clever dummy allowed Hurdman to turn home Haydn Morris’s low cross into the box.
Pershore are next in action against Malvern Town in the Worcestershire Senior Cup on Tuesday, November 11 with kick-off at 7.45pm at the HDAnywhere Community Stadium.
