MALVERN Town slumped to a disappointing Express and Star West Midlands League Premier Division defeat at Gornal on Saturday.

GORNAL ATHLETIC 1, MALVERN TOWN 0

Malvern were left kicking themselves for losing a game they had dominated for long periods, before succumbing to a soft 65th minute far post header. It came just five minutes after Dean Roberts had missed a penalty for Town, which should have given them the lead following a spell of intense pressure, where Town did virtually everything but score.

During the first period Lee Goodman and Adam Ward failed to hit the target, when it was possibly easier to score, and Des Cox was denied by a brilliant save by the home goalkeeper.

During the second half the keeper denied Ward, when he tipped over the midfielder's excellent chip, and substitute Nathan Owen twice broke clear of his marker, but on both occasions fired past the far post.

With Town committing players forward, Gornal were not completely out of the picture, and they also came close to taking the lead, when on a rare break the ball came back off Dave Alden's right hand post, with Town goalkeeper well beaten.

But it did look as though Malvern would get the lead they deserved, when Roberts was hauled down in the area after 60 minutes, but Roberts, who rarely misses from the spot, summed up Town's day when he drilled the ball wide.

In the closing stages Town increased the pressure, but despite a number of frantic scrambles and last ditch interventions from the home defence, Malvern could not find a way through and were left to rue a definite three points dropped during the most frustrating of afternoons.