MALVERN Town kept up their hopes of lifting the Express and Star West Midlands League Premier Division title, with this comprehensive defeat of Ettingshall on Saturday.

ETTINGSHALL HT 1, MALVERN TOWN 9

Although Town only had Dean Robert's 35th minute strike to show for their efforts in the first half, with a little more good fortune Town might have run up a cricket score by the interval as Nathan Jukes saw efforts come back off the post and crossbar, whilst Rik Halion was also denied by the crossbar.

In between times Scot Morris might have helped himself to a hat trick, Phil Preedy was twice denied by the goalkeeper and Craig Williams saw an effort drift narrowly wide of the far post.

But it was Town leading scorer Roberts who made the inevitable breakthrough, when he worked an opening on the right before firing a powerful drive inside the home keeper's near post.

The second period saw Malvern totally turn the screw on their hapless hosts with a four goal blast in the opening 12 minutes.

First Roberts secured his second goal immediately after the restart and Morris registered Town's third just two minutes later.

Halion drove the ball home for Town's fourth goal in the 50th minute and there was a slight lull in proceedings before Roberts secured his hat trick and Town's fifth goal in the 57th minute.

A blunder by the home goalkeeper presented Morris with his second goal in the 66th minute and then Phil Preedy got in on the act with two goals in the 70th and 76th minutes, the second being an exquisite lob that would have graced a bigger stage.

In between Preedy's strikes, there was some brief respite for the visitors when Mills broke to drive the ball past Dave Alden, who had otherwise made only one previous save when he tipped a long range effort over the bar.

Lee Hooper then got in on the act in the 90th minute, when his superb turn and finish rounded off a good day's work for one of the most prolific goalscoring sides in the whole of the national non league pyramid, with only Winchester City and AFC Wimble-don having scored more goals than the Worcestershire outfit.

Town boss Neil Hunt said: "This wasn't a freak result as we might have won by an even bigger margin and the afternoon was just the tonic we needed after last Saturday's disappointment against Tipton."

Hunt continued: "We know that Tipton are still favourites to lift the title, but we can only hope that they slip up in one of their next two games and we win at Bromyard."

Under 18s

THE U18s scheduled HFA Giantkillers Cup final against Cheltenham Town scheduled for last Wednesday (at Ledbury FC), fell foul of the weather. The game will now be played at 7.30pm at the same venue on Tuesday (May 11).

Reserves

TOWN Reserves' Express and Star West Midlands League Division One (South) fixture at Bewdley on Monday was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Town now visit Bewdley on Monday (May 10) and wrap up their league campaign with a visit to Bustlehome Reserves next Saturday (May 15).