MALVERN Town started brightly in this Travel Factory Midland Alliance game at Langland Stadium on Saturday and earned their first corner in the second minute.

MALVERN TOWN 4, RUSHALL OLYMPIC 3

The ball was partly cleared to Gary Smith on the edge of the area but his shot went just over the bar.

In the fifth minute Rushall were awarded a free kick midway in Malvern's half. The ball was played into the penalty area and Ronnie Walker rose highest to head the ball past Paul Wyatt in the Malvern goal.

In the ninth minute Phil Preedy's shot was only pushed out by keeper Paul Cooke to Simon Judge but his shot went just wide of the post. A minute later the ball was played into the six-yard box but despite three or four Malvern players having a swing at it, no-one could get the ball into the net and it was eventually cleared.

In the 14th minute the ball was played to Des Cox who hit it on the volley but it went just wide and in the 27th minute another corner found Smith but his shot again was too high.

Malvern equalised in the 32nd minute when Phil Preedy played the ball into the area and brother Duncan was on hand to powerfully head home. Just before the half-time whistle Phil Preedy's shot went just over the bar.

Malvern took the lead two minutes into the second period when Simon Judge tapped-in a Phil Preedy cross but 10 minutes later it was 2-2 when Darren Simkin scored direct from a free-kick 35-yards out, with Wyatt rooted to his line.

Two minutes later Wyatt made a brilliant save to prevent the visitors edging in front. The ball was then played upfield to Des Cox who raced up the left wing but his cross did not reach the unmarked Phil Preedy in the area.

It was end to end football and in the 64th minute Neil Kitching's shot hit the foot of the post for Rushall and Town's Nathan Jukes' header went straight to keeper Cooke.

Malvern regained the lead in the 69th minute when Cox bundled the ball over the line following another goalmouth scramble and they increased their lead in the 88th minute when the ball was played from the centre circle out to Duncan Preedy on the run and he fired past the helpless Cooke.

As injury time approached Ben Porter reduced the deficit for Rushall when he ran 15 yards and his shot took a wicked deflection off Andy Chalmers and looped over the stranded Wyatt.