THE champagne is still on ice for prospective Express and Star West Midlands League Premier Division champions Westfields, as they were held by Malvern Town in a tense contest at Rotherwas on Saturday.

WESTFIELDS 0, MALVERN TOWN 0

Malvern, who are still missing several key players through injury, were more than a match for the league leaders and in doing so kept their ambitions of a good finish firmly in place.

A strong wind and hard surface made fluent football difficult, but with Mark Hibbard pulling the stings, Westfields looked the more likely side to take the lead during the first 20 minutes, with Paul Burton and Hibbard both going close.

Malvern began to assert themselves more as the first half went on, and Lee Goodman might have put them in front when he broke clear, but was denied by an excellent Alex Winstone tackle just as he was about to shoot.

The start of the second period saw Westfields create possibly their two best chances of the game, when Hibbard narrowly lobbed over the crossbar and Chris Jefferson fired wide from a good position.

But after weathering this brief spell of pressure, Town hit back in the 57th minute, when Lee Hooper volleyed over the bar and minutes later Goodman and Nathan Owen worked an opening, which saw the latter fire narrowly wide of the far post.

In the 83rd minute, Westfields hearts were in their mouths, when Luke Willetts broke clear, but the striker scuffed his shot and Jon Pugh in the home goal saved comfortably.

Westfields too threatened once or twice in the closing moments, but with Town goalkeeper Melvyn Watson and a back three of Andy Chalmers, Nick Clayton and Dave Cannon in outstanding form, Westfields could not find a way through.

Town boss Neil Hunt praised his players saying: "This was a good team performance throughout, I suppose though it is just a bit frustrating that we have taken points off all the leading sides, but let ourselves down in those three consecutive home games a few weeks ago.

"But we have made progress no doubt and we are not that far away," he said.