MALVERN Town retained their position on top of the Express and Star West Midlands League Premier Division table, following this narrow defeat at the Tipton Sports Academy on Saturday, but only on goal difference.

TIPTON TOWN 1, MALVERN TOWN 0

Second-placed Tipton moved level on points with the same number of games played, as Malvern Town failed to score in a league game for the first time this season.

A Ravi Sanga tap in after 70 minutes secured the points for the home side and was achieved following a knock down from Lee Rollason who, on the day, was the game's outstanding player.

The opening exchanges saw Malvern settle the quicker, but despite this their efforts on goal were more speculative than convincing. In the run up to half time Tipton gained control and might have taken the lead on more than one occasion, the closest being a Rollason header which came back off the underside of the crossbar.

The second period was a closely contested affair, but still Malvern created very little in the way of clear cut chances and their cause was further disrupted when in-form striker Dean Roberts was forced out of the action with an injury.

Tipton took full advantage with Sanga's strike.

Ironically, this proved the catalyst for the visitor's most potent spell of the game, as Des Cox saw a goalbound backheel scrambled away and a Luke Willetts volley was held by the home goalkeeper. Rik Halion then rounded the keeper but lost his footing and a succession of late corners bore no reward.

In the end the home side probably deserved their success and the title chase now looks like going to the wire.

Town boss Neil Hunt said: "To be fair Tipton deserved it on the day and we were disappointed that we were not really at the races, but the situation we face is not unexpected and we are still very much in the frame and still top of the league, albeit on goal difference.

"It is up to us to recover from this, move on and get a run going again, we have done that before and capable of doing it again," he said.