JOINT manager Wayne Oliver refused to get carried away after Droitwich Spa kicked off the Midlands Division Two with a 6-1 win at home to Hampton.

Spa shook after a nervous opening spell, where Hampton had taken the lead, to roar to an emphatic win.

James Lemon and James Ward both bagged braces, while Macauley Finch and Nick Seabourne hit the back of the net.

Three points is in stark contrast to last year, where it took Spa eight games to get off the mark.

With Droitwich able to keep the side which ended the season so strongly, expectations are high but Oliver and partner Mark Owen are keeping their feet firmly on the ground.

He said: “We started tentatively and could have been 2-0 down if not for a very good save by Matthew Oliver.

“That woke us up and we attacked very well after that.

“But overall there are things to work on, we didn’t defend well as a team.

“All of this will come as the season develops but at the moment it’s still early days.

“I know people are excited by what we can do this season but this is just one win, it’s just three points.”

Droitwich, who are second in the table after one game, face a tough opening month and take on teams expected to challenge at the top such as Alvis Sporting, Sutton United and Barnt Green Spartak.

Spa’s next game is tomorrow night at Worcestershire rivals Feckenham (6.30pm ko).

On Saturday, Droitwich tackle Alvis, who were relegated from Division One last season.

Sporting kicked off the campaign with a 10-1 win over Coton Green, who lost their keeper to injury early on.

Oliver said: “I think we’ll have a good idea where we are after a month in to the season.

“It’s not easy, we’ve got teams expected to do well this year.

“Feckenham will provide a challenge, while Alvis have some good players, so we can’t afford to rest on on our laurels.”

  •  Droitwich Spa Veterans FC are looking for new players for the over-35s and 55s teams.

Anyone interested can contact Dave Price on 07733 120732 or John Garvey on 07827 445137 for details.