MALVERN TOWN 3, WALSALL WOOD 1

MALVERN Town quickly returned to winning ways following Bank Holiday Monday's narrow defeat against champions Kington Town.

The result was never really in doubt against an ordinary Walsall side on Saturday, although Town did not match the fluency of the previous Saturday's emphatic victory at Westfields.

On yet another sweltering Saturday, Town were quick to take the game to the visitors, and with a front three of Judge, Tafft and Morris, backed up by the intelligent promptings of John Wade, were a constant thorn in the side of the visitors defence.

Town took the lead in the 15th minute, when a Steve Walker corner was met powerfully by Sean Cotteril, the big centre half's header was blocked, but in form Simon Judge quickly pounced to stab the rebound home and in the process claim his seventh goal of the season.

For the remainder of the half Town's play became a little complacent and at times were guilty of over elaborating, when a simpler approach might have been more effective, that said veteran keeper, Martin Cole, deputising for the suspended Ross Sanders, dealt comfortably with the little he had to do. Despite this both Tafft, Walker and Wade all came close to extending Town's lead before the half time whistle.

The second period saw little chance until Tafft intervened, when a well drilled shot for the edge of the box put Malvern firmly in the driving seat.

With John Wade moving into a free role behind the front two and the introduction of Mark Brooks into mid field, Town began to enjoy their best spell of the game, but with 15 minutes left it was, ironically, the visitors who gave themselves hope of salvaging a point, when they converted a penalty after Mick Lowe was adjudged to have impeded a visiting forward in the box.

However, moments after Tafft restored a two goal advantage for his side when he arrived at the far post, to finish with a strike that suggests the prolific striker is now beginning to make up for lost time following his year long cruciate injury lay off.

In the games closing moments Malvern should really have added to their score, and the fact they did not sort of typified their performance, but that they deserved to win was never in any doubt.

Malvern Town: Cole, Bastock, Cotterill, Lowe, Wade J, Maidment (Higgins), Walker, Clayton (Draper), Judge (Brooks), Morris, Tafft.