BOSS Tony Gore has praised the team spirit at Dudley Sports ahead of a vital clash with relegation rivals Wellington Amateurs.

Sports fought back to earn a late point at Bewdley Town last Tuesday before securing a 2-2 draw at home to Shifnal Town on Saturday despite being down to ten men for most of the game.

Liam Timms saw red in the first 15 minutes after handling on the line. Shifnal converted the penalty before Sports hit back to take the lead themselves. They couldn't hold on for all three points but Gore was delighted with how his team have battled in their last two outings.

He said: "We have shown a lot of character recently to pick up some very important points.

"We have done very, very well and those points set us up for a really big game this weekend.

"It's been a tough season but we have found a bit of spirit and form at the right time."

Sports will take a massive step towards West Midlands Premier League safety if they can beat second-from-bottom side Wellington Amateurs at Hillcrest Avenue on Saturday (3pm kick-off).

"We have done well from our games in hand and have gone from 11 points behind Wellington to seven points ahead. A win on Saturday could be enough to see us survive.

"It's a massive game and we'll approach it the same as we always do."

Sports will be without the absent Tom Watkins and Curtis Cocking but could welcome Mark Gore and Hamilton Chiwara back from injury.