MALVERN Town picked up a valuable point in their fight for survival in the British Gas Business Southern League Division One Midlands.

Bishop's Cleeve started brightly and in the third minute Luke Corbett fired over a free-kick from the edge of the box and 11 minutes later Johnny Meadows went agonisingly close to connecting with a corner.

Malvern took the lead in the 15th-minute when a corner by Jamie Hyde went through the crowded box and found Gary Walker at the back post to slot the ball home.

Malvern increased their lead 13 minutes before the break when Justin Marsden headed the ball down to Daniel Harding Hall, who played it back in for Warren Howes to float a cross into the area which Marsden drilled against Cleeve's veteran keeper John Skeen, but he made no mistake with the follow-up.

The Kayte Lane side were clearly shaken up at half time and reduced the lead in the very first minute when the ball was played to former Cheltenham Town man Corbett and his cross found Kevin Slack.

The Cleeve hitman fired a shot against Lewis Skyers before tapping home the rebound.

In the 50th-minute Paul Coll-icutt's side were reduced to ten men when Dan Shatford was shown a red card after a rash tackle on Hyde.

Cleeve equalised in the 55th-minute when an accurate through ball beat the Malvern defence and Corbett ran on and chipped Skyers and he nearly snatched all three points minutes later.