MALVERN Town returned to form on Tuesday night with a comfortable 2-0 Express and Star West Midlands League Premier Division win away to Sedgley White Lions.

SEDGLEY WHITE LIONS 0, MALVERN TOWN 2

Despite still being without injured skipper Dean Roberts and Billy Davis, whose back suffered a slight reaction to his return as a substitute last Saturday, Town still proved too strong for their Gornal-based hosts.

The game was played at a swift pace, and Town constantly threatened, with Luke Willetts, Lee Hooper and Des Cox at the heart of most of their best moves. It was those three who all might have given Town the lead during the opening 30 minutes, but they were either denied by the home goalkeeper or fired wide of the target when well placed.

Town did go ahead in the 33rd minute and it was stand in skipper Rik Halion who put them in front, when he scored direct from a free kick on the edge of the Sedgley penalty area.

Shortly after the break, Halion should have increased his side's lead. Des Cox outpaced the home defence for the umpteenth time, but on this occasion was upended with only the 'keeper to beat. Halion's resultant spot kick was pushed away to his right by the home goalkeeper.

But a richly deserved second goal eventually came in the 72nd minute, although it had a stroke of luck about it. Cox popped up at the far post, but with the goal at his mercy, mishit his shot, only for it to fall into the path of Willetts, who stabbed home from three yards out.

MALVERN TOWN 1, WOLVERHAMPTON CASUALS 2

TOWN slipped to a second consecutive home league defeat at the hands of Wolverhampton Casuals on Saturday.

On a hard, bumpy surface, Town struggled to find any rhythm to their play, but still created enough chances to to have won comfortably. The best of these falling to Des Cox in the first half and Luke Willetts and substitute Billy Davis in the second.

Casuals took the lead from the spot after 25 minutes, when a bad bounce in the penalty area deceived Town's John Walton and resulted in a penalty being awarded after Walton was adjudged to have handled.

But Walton made amends just ten minutes later, when he headed home at the far post, following excellent work from Nathan Owen.

Town though were made to pay for those missed opportunities, when poor defending at a free kick enabled Casuals to grab an 87th minute winner.

Town boss Neil Hunt said: "This was a very disappointing defeat, as it comes immediately on the back of last week's defeat at home to Heath Hayes.

"This has really put us up against it now if we are to get the runners up spot, we now need to string together half a dozen wins or so on the bounce."