MALVERN Town Reserves and Hinton from Hereford met at Ludlow Town on Tuesday in the West Midland League division one cup final.

MALVERN TOWN RESERVES 1, HINTON 2

Hinton, who have had the better of Malvern in the league with a win and a draw, got off to a good start, although Malvern had the first opportunity. Hinton goalie Dave Spencer rolled the ball out and it hit the defender's heel giving Chris Fellows the chance to nip in and fire a shot, which went agonisingly wide.

Within a minute, Ed Lyons won the ball and dropped it over the defence, where Fellows had a similar chance with a similar result.

The back four of Roberts, Simpson, Brighton and Leighton worked hard and reduced Hinton to a couple of long-range shots in the first-half.

Twenty minutes into the second-half, Lyons beat three defenders in the box before laying the ball off to Mike Oakes, who blasted goalward only to see Spencer parry the ball into the path of Ollie Endacott. The striker fired into the net for a 1-0 lead.

Hinton began pushing tall defenders up for free-kicks and corners in search of an equaliser. From one of these free-kicks, the ball fell into a crowded box and Mike Oakes lunged in, in an attempt to clear the ball and handled it in the process. Jody Daw put away the penalty to equalise.

Just as the game appeared to be heading for extra-time, Hinton played the ball up the left wing where Adam Simpson and Adrian Whittall-Williams collided trying to clear the ball. Daw was on hand to turn the ball into an empty net.

Malvern rang the changes but it was too late and they had to satisfy themselves with the runner-up medals.

ECCLESHALL 2, MALVERN TOWN RESERVES 1

TOWN Reserves travelled into Staffordshire for their last league game of the season and were beaten by a very good side, that belied their early season form and league position.

Eccleshall's first goal came on 26 minutes when Danny Wragg shot from just outside the box. The ball bounced awkwardly in front of Adrian Whittall-Williams and the keeper was disappointed to see it flick over his arm and into the net for a relatively soft goal.

Young James Rimmell, playing on the right wing, almost levelled matters as he twice went close.

Sam Pallett was busy in midfield, winning a lot of headers, and found Danny James in space on one occasion. The striker headed goalwards only to see his effort cleared off the line by a defender.

Malvern gave away a free-kick 40 yards out and the ball fell kindly to Andy Garrett, who fired home for a 2-0 lead just before the break.

On 53 minutes, David Knapper pressured a defender who hand-balled for a penalty. Ed Lyons stepped up and fired hard and low into the net reducing the arrears.

Minutes later Chris Fellows set up Lyons for a chance to draw level, but he shot wide.