MALVERN TOWN 1, TIVIDALE 1

MALVERN Town entertained high flying Tividale for the second time in four days, but were unable to repeat Tuesday night's League Cup win when they met in the League encounter and had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

Malvern recalled teenagers Ross Sanders and Andy Shepherd into their starting line-up and both covered themselves in glory.

Tividale opened strongly and in their first attack Chris Brown saw his first time effort brilliantly saved at full stretch by Sanders pushing the ball away for a fruitless corner.

Malvern started to gradually get their act together and in their first attack took the lead when a ball in from Nick Clayton was superbly rifled home into the roof of the net, from just outside the area, by Andy Shepherd.

Malvern kept up the pressure and a ball across the box by Sean Cotterill just eluded the lunging boot of Shepherd.

Play was pretty even for the remainder of the half but on the stroke of half time the visitors were awarded a penalty when a defender was adjudged to have pushed Lee Witton in the area. Justice appeared to be done when Sanders pulled off a tremendous save from Carl Duffus's kick.

Two minutes into the second period Tividale drew level when midweek hero Darren Wade deflected the ball into his own net from a cross cum shot by Lee Williams.

The rest of the game was played in a blizzard and Tividale dictated for long periods but Malvern's back four of Chadwick, Cotterill, Lowe and Clayton were outstanding and when they did get through Sanders dealt confidently with everything thrown at him.

On Bank Holiday Monday, December 27 Town entertain league leaders Stafford Town in the Banks's Premier League. Kick off 3pm.

The Town will be without the suspended Phil Slade, John Wade, Andy Shepherd and Adam Moss so will select from:

Sanders, Chadwick, Cotterill, Lowe, Clayton, Walker, Maidment, Wade (D), Whittal-Williams, Tafft, Ashby, Beddowes, Hutchinson, Hodgson and Perrins.