MALVERN Town visit Lye Town tomorrow (Saturday), kick-off 2.45pm, and will be looking to complete an Express and Star West Midlands League Premier Division double, having defeated Lye 6-0 back in September.

Town will also be looking to consolidate their top five position, a placing achieved despite their disappointing 2-2 home draw against Bustleholme last week.

Back for Town will be new signing Luke Willetts, who missed last Saturday's game due to suspension, but there is still a doubt concerning Steve Walker, whose hamstring suffered a negative reaction after training last week.

However, there is better news concerning Lee Hooper, Town's talented 17-year-old striker is now back in full training following a knee ligament injury, and hopes to play some part in next week's U18s fixture.

There is also a possibility of another new signing in time for the Lye game, but any deal might not be concluded until the day of the game.

Town general manager Richard Anson said: "We were flat against Bustleholme and lucky to scrape a point, and it was only when defeat was staring us in the face, that we started to play.

"But the run we have been on has been exceptional and you are not going to maintain that standard week in week out, you just hope that when you do get an off day, you still manage to get something out of the game.

"Hopefully it was a wake up call and we get back on track this Saturday."

The current period is a crucial one if Town are going mount a serious challenge for the title, because following the Lye fixture come critical games at fourth-placed Shawbury next Saturday (January 18) and the eagerly anticipated home game against sixth-placed Ledbury Town on Tuesday, January 21 (7.45pm).

Town boss Neil Hunt though is more concerned with this Saturday's game and said: "Sure, we have some big games coming up, but they will mean less to us, if we do not pick up a result this weekend. I also feel we still need to add a bit more depth to the squad now, as there is no point in waiting until it is too late.

"We are hoping to secure one major signing this week and have put in a seven day approach for another player, currently with a West Midlands League Premier Division side," he said.

For the Lye game Hunt will select from: Watson, Williams, Cannon, Clayton, Walker, Leighton, Palmer, Johnson, Walton, Halion, Rose, Owen, Cox, Roberts, Willetts and Goodman.

The Town Reserves did not have a game last weekend, but tomorrow (Saturday) are due to be at home in the Express and Star West Midlands League Division One (S), ironically, to the the second string of Bustleholme, last Saturday's first team opponents.

The Reserves will be confident of going one better than the senior side and continuing their recent good form, which has seen them begin to claw themselves away from the lower reaches of the table.

The match kicks off at 2.45pm.

The Town U18s scheduled trip to Evesham was called off on Monday night due to a frozen pitch, but next Tuesday host an attractive Midland Youth League game against Hereford United (7.30pm).

Town sit five points behind third placed United, but have a game in hand. Town have games in hand on most of the leading sides, and if they gain maximum points from these games, they could have a serious say in the title race.