MALVERN Town crashed to defeat at Barton Rovers despite taking a first minute lead.

Craig Humphries kicked the ball down the pitch to Lee Hooper whose shot cum cross fell to Chris Allen on the left who rifled the ball home with only 44 seconds on the clock.

The lead lasted until the 11th minute when a Barton Rovers player went down in the box after colliding with Adam Harris and the referee awarded a penalty which Tony Thorpe duly put away.

In the 41st minute Barton were given a free kick just outside the area and the ball was played into the box where Thorpe's shot hit the cross bar and rebounded to Brett Donnelly who headed the ball into the net.

Three minutes later when another long ball was played towards Malvern's penalty area, Humphries came rushing out and collided with the Barton player.

The keeper was sent off and the referee awarded another penalty, which Thorpe also put away after Adam Harris had donned the keeper's gloves.