MALVERN Town's youngsters gave the biggest indication yet that the club's future is in good hands, as a number of them were involved in this final home Banks's Brewery League Premier Division game of the season against Walsall Wood.

MALVERN TOWN 2, WALSALL WOOD 0

With 19-year-olds Matt Upton and Paul Dugdale continuing to enjoy extended runs, Town also gave another opportunity to 17-year-old Barry McClean in goal and handed 16-year-old Lee Hooper his debut.

Joining Hooper for a first start was youngster Neil Mogford, whilst 17-year-old striker Richard Jones was on the bench.

Understandably Town took a little time to settle against a Walsall side who earlier in the week had escaped relegation by picking up four valuable points. Indeed the visitors might have gone ahead in the 15th minute, when a penalty was awarded for handball against Dave Damore. McClean though rose to the occasion, diving to his left to pull off an excellent save.

This was the catalyst for Town to push forward and twice Hooper was denied, first when his snap shot went narrowly wide and again when he worked an opening, only to see his seemingly goalbound shot take a last ditch deflection. Dene Whittal - Williams also saw a goalbound volley deflected over the crossbar as Town finished the half in the ascendancy.

The second half saw Town continue to pull the strings with the running of Upton and growing confidence of Mogford starting to capitalise on the continual prompting of Whittal - Williams and Steve Walker in midfield.

Indeed it was a pin point cross for the latter that saw Mogford rise majestically above the flat-footed visiting defence to head home in the 60th minute.

With the Town back four well marshalled by the veteran Sean Cotterill, nearly 20 years older than debutant Hooper,Town were rarely threatened and a deserved second goal came in the 75th minute, when Mogford crossed for Whitall - Williams to power home a header, that even a defender's despairing hand could not keep out.

This was the last of the meaningful action as Town were rarely in serious danger of conceding and picked up a thoroughly deserved three points.

Commenting on the game Town assistant manager Richard Anson said: "We introduced a couple of the youngsters against Little Drayton the previous week and gave a couple more the opportunity in this game.

"Certainly, it proved a very worthwhile exercise as they all looked capable of handling themselves at this level.

"Obviously you do not want to get too carried away, as there is a big difference between playing Walsall Wood in the middle of May and going to somewhere like Darlaston in the middle of January, but overall they have all come out of it very well and now give Joe and myself some real options."

Malvern Town: McClean, Dugdale (Sollis), Damore, Davies, Cotterill, Whittal - Williams, Walker, Thomas (White), Hooper (Jones).

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