Malvern Radar 1 Exel Stars & Garter 3

AN entertaining match at Victoria Park saw the visitors from Droitwich secure all three points with an 85th minute goal, after Radar had probably done enough to deserve a share of the spoils.

Radar made their usual slow start and for the first 15 minutes were given the runaround by their opponents and soon found themselves 2-0 down.

Anthony Burton raced through a rather hesitant defence to score the opener and when Mark Birt crashed in a superb half volley from all of 25 yards, things looked grim for the home side.

A piece of good fortune came Radar's way and seemed to change the game.

Phil Birch knocked in a seemingly harmless cross but unfortunate Paul Quoroll, in the Exel goal, let the ball slip from his grasp and it ended up in the net. This certainly raised Radar's game and they managed to match the opposition, for whom Liam Yardley up front was in excellent form being a threat throughout.

Radar's Gary Harman was unlucky when his rocket shot cannoned back off the cross bar and Duane Willis's 20 yard screamer went just too high leaving it 2-1 at half time.

With James Curtis keeping a tight rein on Yardley, Radar seemed to have the upper hand in the second half.

Lee Brookes was foiled by a fine save from Quoroll, who somehow pushed his deflected shot round the post, and then was just off target with a shot from the edge of the area.

At the other end Chris Ball saved at the feet of Kirk Layton to avoid embarrassing Clive Churchill whose back pass was woefully short. When the keeper was beaten Nick Ball sprung to the rescue heading one effort onto the bar. From the follow-up Lee Murphy also hit the bar when it seemed easier to score.

Murphy, however, had the last laugh when he broke clear as Radar pushed forward and nudged the Ball into the net late on.

Certainly this was one of Radar's better efforts in recent weeks. They have no game this Sunday.