MALVERN Town moved into the second round of the West Midlands League Premier Division Cup, with a victory against Walsall Wood on Tuesday night at Langland stadium that was far more convincing than the scoreline suggests.

MALVERN TOWN 1, WALSALL WOOD 0

Throughout the evening Town missed a catalogue of chances and did not break through until the 70th minute, when Adam Higgins steered a header home at the far post.

Chris Thomas should have put Town ahead as early as the 10th minute, but with time and space in the box, the winger fired wide.

Saturday's two goal hero Neil Mogford was then denied by an excellent save from Anthony Bull-ivant in the visitors goal and in the 27th minute Adam Ward headed wide when it was easier to find the target.

Lee Hooper was then agonisingly close to making contact with a Thomas cross with an empty net beckoning, but it did appear that Town had achieved a breakthrough in the 43rd minute.

Mogford broke free and appeared to be upended in the penalty area, the referee pointed to the spot, but after consultation with a linesman awarded a corner. despite Town's disappointment, it should not have mattered as from the corner Sean Cotterill found himself with the ball at his feet, but from virtually under the crossbar fired over!

Malvern did not have it all entirely their own way, Sean Davies blocked a goalbound effort on the line in the 17th minute and five minutes later 'keeper Dave Alden miscued a clearance straight to a Walsall forward who, fortuitously for Town, fired well wide.

The second period carried on in the same vein as the first.

Both Mogford and Ward were denied by Bullivant, who then saved superbly from a Keith Holmans header.

But a goal had to come and eventually it did. With just twenty minutes remaining a Chris Thomas cross took a slight deflection that took the ball away from Bullivant and Higgins ghosted in at the far post to head home.

After this Town should still have wrapped things up, notably when Chris Thomas fired wide in front of an empty goal and in the final minute, when Paul Dugdale broke free only to see his first effort parried by the excellent Bullivant, and in attempting to stab the rebound into an unguarded goal, Bullivant recovered to smother his shot.

Despite the missed chances, Town thoroughly deserved to progress as they extended their unbeaten run to six games.

Tomorrow (Saturday) Malvern Town are away to Shawbury United (2.45) and then on the following Tuesday (November 20) host a neighbours Ledbury Town (7.45).