WALSALL WOOD 0, MALVERN TOWN 1

MALVERN Town's visit to basement club Walsall Wood turned out to be anything but a pushover with the Wood making a mockery of their Banks's Premier Division position with a gritty performance before going down to a Phil Slade goal ten minutes from time.

Malvern opened with the wind and rain behind their backs but it was the Wood that took up the running early on and only a great save by Ross Sanders in the Town goal prevented Andy Ratcliffe from opening the scoring in the seventh minute.

However on 27 minutes Malvern should have taken the lead when Joe Maidment played a superb diagonal ball through the Wood's defence into the path of Rob Perrins who, with only keeper Chris Collins to beat, put the ball wide of a gaping goal.

The heavy conditions difficult to cope with and good football was out of the question but on the stroke of half time Wood's Simon Roberts should have done better when he blasted wide with Sanders to beat.

Two minutes into the second half Malvern lost skipper Sean Cotterill with a pulled muscle and on the hour were hit again when full back Luke Chadwick was red carded for a second bookable offence.

Wood pressed forward and almost took the lead direct from Roberts' corner but Sanders just managed to punch clear from under the bar.

Ten man Malvern now started to get control and with the outstanding Mick Lowe driving them on started to create chances, first Hodgson was put clear but with keeper Collins exposed he shot wide.

However, on 80 minutes he made amends when he put pressure on keeper Collins, from a poor back pass from Neil Holmes, to hurry his kick, which he sliced into the path of Phil Slade who promptly drilled the ball home from the edge of the box.

The Wood threw everything at the visitors after this to try and salvage a point but Lowe and Bastock at the heart of the defence held firm although on 83 minutes it took a full length save from Sanders to deny Neil Patterson from equalising.

Tomorrow (Saturday) Malvern are at home to Brierley Hill Town, kick off 3pm. Manager Joe Rawle hopes to have Nick Clayton, Andy Shepherd and John Wade back for the game.

Squad: Sanders, Lowe, Bastock, Cotterill, Walker, Chadwick, Maidment, Whittal-Williams, Wade (D), Wade (J), Ashby, Williams, Perrins, Clayton, Slade, Shepherd and Hodgson.