MALVERN ATHLETIC 3,

BARNT GREEN SPARTAK 1

MALVERN Athletic collected three valuable points and put in an early second half performance that was probably the best this season.

Manager Phil Llewellyn passed a late fitness test to play alongside Marc Lines at the heart of the defence and Hayden Jordan moving from midfield to partner Simon Brookes in the attack.

With the new strike partnership not really hitting it off, scoring chances were few and far between in the first 20 minutes.

It came as no surprise when the visitors took the lead, centre forward Simon Brown turning Llewellyn just inside the box before shooting in off the post.

This sparked Athletic into life, with Richard Brookes causing problems at left back with some good overlapping runs and Cyril Dowling also doing the same damage down the right flank.

The equaliser came from a corner by Dowling. With the visiting defence failing to get the ball away Julian Langfield was on hand to stab the home from close range after 37 minutes.

The second half was only two minutes old when Athletic took the lead through Dowling, turning inside the left back and unleashing an unstoppable volley from the edge of the penalty area in to the roof of the net.

In the 51st minute Athletic extended their lead when Phil Llewellyn volleyed from the edge of the box toward the far post and looked as if his effort would go wide but Simon Brookes, with his back to goal, flicked the ball into the roof of the net with a fine header that had the keeper completely deceived.

Simon Brown did find the net for the visitors late on, but the linesman had adjudged him offside.

Malvern could have extended their lead in the dying minutes when, with the visitors pushing forward, Richard Brookes broke on the left and his low cross was just missed by substitute Daniel May sliding in at the back post.

This win moves Athletic back above County Sports Reserves, who drew away at Enville. With the gap being just two points, tomorrow's game at home to County Sport Reserves, kick off 2.45pm, is a very important game for Malvern Athletic.

Tomorrow's squad: Preece, Penney, R Brookes, Llewellyn, Lines, Langfield, Allen, Russell, S Brookes, Dowling, Jordan, Hall, May, Cornes, Boocock.