MALVERN TOWN 1, WOLVERHAMPTON CASUALS 0

A SIMON Judge goal in the 88th minute was enough to earn Malvern Town all three Banks's premier division points when Wolverhampton Casuals were the visitors at Langland Stadium on Saturday.

Malvern opened the game by going straight on the attack, wing backs Nick Clayton and John Wade working hard down the flanks trying to create chances for the front running Darren Taft and Simon Judge.

The first clean cut chance fell to youngster Wade in the 15th minute when his first time effort was superbly saved by visiting keeper, and man of the match, Will Smith.

The Town continued to play good football but their finishing did not match their good approach work, but when they did hit the target Smith was equal to it, and on two more occasions he denied Wade with brilliant saves.

On 40 minutes, however, the home side should have taken the lead when Steve Walker set Simon Judge free on the left hand side and his final ball into the box picked out Darren Taft unmarked but the striker hurried his shot and with Smith helpless pulled his effort just wide of the upright.

The second period saw Malvern again take the initiative by playing by far the better football, but Casuals were prepared to soak up the pressure and rely on breakaways and in the 52nd minute Ross Sanders in the Town goal had to be alert to drop down at his left hand post to get a hand to a close range effort from Dennis Robinson.

On 59 minutes Malvern were awarded a free kick on the visitors left and Steve Walker whipped in a superb ball onto the head of Wade but his powerful header was brilliantly tipped over the bar by Smith for a fruitless corner.

Malvern continued to push forward and with time running out it looked as if the game would end in stalemate but on 88 minutes Town got the breakthrough when Walker played a superb ball through the visiting defence to Simon Judge on the edge of the penalty area and although Smith blocked his first effort on the line, he couldn't gather, and Judge followed up to bundle the loose ball over the line to snatch the points.

Tomorrow (Saturday) the Town, sponsored by Clarke Roxburgh Insurance Brokers Limited, travel to local rivals Westfields for a Banks's Premier League game - kick off 3pm and on August Bank Holiday Monday entertain last year's league champions and league cup winners Kington Town, also a 3pm kick off.

Squad for the Westfields game: Sanders, Whittal-Williams, Lowe, Clayton, Slade, Cotterill, Walker, Maidment, Brookes, Taft, Judge, Morris, Higgins, Bastock, Wade (J) and Hutchinson.