MALVERN Town crashed to a 6-0 home defeat against Gornal Athletic after losing their keeper to injury early on.

Chas Weaver collided with his post in the first minute as a freekick went marginally wide and he received lengthy treatment.

Play continued in the West Midlands League Premier Division clash but, from the first ball knocked back to him, it was obvious Weaver could not continue.

With no replacement keeper on the bench, forward Lee Hooper stepped up to take the keeper’s shirt.

Within a minute, Gornal took the lead when the ball was played through for Geoff Hill to slot home past Hooper.

In the 25th minute, the visitors crossed a free-kick in from the left wing and Craig Stevens headed in the second goal.

A minute later, Malvern’s Matt Turner beat Rich Kennedy to a cross but the ball fell kindly for the Gornal keeper to gather.

Harry Wickett, Kirk Layton and Sam Rathbone combined to set up Turner on the half-hour mark but he shot just wide. Three minutes later, it was 3-0 as the ball was again played over the defence for Hill to chip Hooper.

Sam Rathbone found Turner four minutes from half-time but his cross along the goal-line was fired wide by Bryan Craven.

Malvern struggled to cope with the physical presence of Gornal so at the start of the second half they replaced Rathbone with Dave Reynolds.

Town continued to threaten and Turner raced up the right in the 50th minute to find Craven but his effort was held by Kennedy.

Dan Herbert then flicked the ball on to Turner, who spun and fired his shot just over the bar.

But then Gornal substitute Liam Hickman slotted into the net and the same player fired in another cross soon after.

Turner fired wide from the edge of the box from Herbert’s pass and Reynolds hit a 40-yarder straight at the keeper five minutes from time.

Former Malvern player Scott Devlin rubbed salt in the hosts’ wounds late on when he headed home a cross from the left.

Eighth-placed Malvern host basement boys Shifnal Town at the HDanywhere Community Stadium in the league on Saturday (3pm).

They then visit Herefordshire outfit Wellington, who are 13th in the table, on Tuesday (7.45pm).