MALVERN Town manager Paul Molloy has praised his players for their efforts after the club's best spell of the season.

The Langland Stadium side have won their last three Southern League Division One Midlands games to climb to 14th in the table, six points behind the play-off places.

And Malvern are aiming to make it four consecutive victories when they host Rothwell Town on Saturday (3pm).

Molloy said: "We are on a bit of a run at the moment and long may it continue. It just shows that if you have a bit of a run it pushes you right up the league.

"I am pleased and we are scoring goals now which has made a difference.

"The players are really enjoying it. They have worked hard and fair play to all the players for knuckling down and working hard."

Defender Lee Knight is expected to feature against Rothwell after finally agreeing a deal with Malvern.

The former Evesham United and Stourport Swifts defender turned his back on the club last month and opted for a switch to rivals Bedworth United.

But his time with the Warwickshire club did not get off to the best of starts as he was sent-off for two bookings in half-an-hour in a 1-0 defeat against Bishops Cleeve on November 25.

Since then, Knight has contacted Molloy and the Malvern boss agreed to take him on, particularly with a busy Christmas fixture programme ahead and Wes Joyce suspended.

Joyce misses Saturday's game with a one-match suspension picked up for a red card in the 2-1 victory over Aylesbury earlier this month.

Fringe midfielder Nick Butler is sidelined with a two-game ban handed out playing for the reserves.

Forward Shaun Findlay, also on the books at Worcester City, is out of the Rothwell clash with a hamstring injury.