A THIRD successive Midlands One defeat for Malvern at Leicester last Saturday doesn't sound good, but the performance was more workmanlike and the verdict is that Malvern are now ready to start their trip back to winning ways.

LEICESTER LIONS 18pts, MALVERN 13pts

Playing against many people's pre-season favourites for the title Malvern started the game slowly and just after seven minutes conceded a soft score when Kiwi import Martin split the Malvern back row and strolled in converting his own try.

Smarting into action Malvern came straight back and good forward work by Hill and Taylor in particular, drove deep in to Lions' territory. For several minutes the home side clung on until hooker Andy Logan went over for a fine score out wide following a clever reverse flick pass from skipper Andy Longley. The conversion went wide but the game was now hotting up.

Cooper nearly scored when he charged down a Cornell clearance attempt, but the final bounce just eluded the sprightly footed prop. Malvern kept the ball and turned the screws, finally in the 27th minute, a clever Jenkin looped-pass put winger Rob Young in at the corner.

This was to be the best spell for Malvern in the game, as blood replacements Owen and Beech came on into the back row for Taylor and Hill, and the game flowed deep in the Leicester 22m area, but for all their pressure Malvern went in 10-7 up at the half time whistle.

The home side came out and applied the early second half pressure. Good line out and strong running took Leicester to within five metres of the Malvern line, which they took full advantage of as Fripp drove over for the try.

From the restart it was apparent that Malvern were not in the mood for laying down as Cooper gathered the restart kick and another sustained period of Malvern pressure began. Unfortunately, the final pass never quite got Malvern to the try line, as Longley and Martin exchanged penalties and the game boiled into its exciting concluding phase.

Firstly Fripp for Leicester, then Cooper were sin-binned and it was the Lions who benefited most as the killer blow came with a 76th minute penalty from Cornell, meaning Malvern had to play catch up. Malvern tried everything but ran out of time.

At the end of the game Malvern skipper Andy Longley was adamant that everything is now as he wanted it to be.

Longley said: "We are at a point we should have been a month ago, but we are ready now to start taking sides."

Tomorrow (Saturday) a large crowd is expected as Malvern entertain Luctonians (3pm) at Spring Lane in the second of this season's local derbies.

Check out the club website on thisismrfc.co.uk.