Shifnal Town 1, Malvern Town 3.

MALVERN Town travelled to Shropshire for this bottom-of-the-table Aspire Midland Alliance encounter and returned home with all three points but they did make it difficult for themselves.

The visitors took the lead after 15 minutes when a long ball was played to Troy Wood who ran to the byline before crossing the ball into the box to Craig Carter at the back post who fired home from a tight angle.

Malvern increased their lead in the 28th minute when Bryan Craven delivered a superb pinpoint ball to Carter in the area and he hit the ball through the legs of keeper Anthony O’Connor, .

This seemed to wake Shifnal up and two minutes later Barry McLean, in goal for Malvern, pulled off a wonderful full length save to turn the ball round the post.

In the 32nd minute the ball was crossed from the right into the area and Alex Bloomer, Shifnal’s six-foot striker, headed home.

The jitters attacked Malvern and play for the last 15 minutes of the first period was scrappy and the visitors lost their new centre-half Joe Beagley with suspected knee ligament damage after 40 minutes and he was replaced by Paul Ireland.

Malvern’s negatively carried on after the break and they hardly ventured into the Shifnal half for the first 20 minutes of the second period.

McLean brought off another finger-tip save on 50 minutes but most of the play was in midfield with neither side being able to string any passes together.

The referee gave Malvern a penalty in the 79th minute after Shifnal’s defender had clipped Craven in the area, which he converted.

Shifnal still tried to attack and, in the 87th minute, McLean made another good save to keep the two-goal advantage and Malvern were able to see out time in the virtual darkness as the floodlights were not put on.

Malvern do not have a game tomorrow as they were due to entertain Barwell Town, who instead face Willand Rovers in the fifth round of the FA Vase.

Malvern’s re-arranged games for February are as follows: Tuesday 9: Coalville Town (h) league (L, ko 7.45pm); Saturday 13: Biddulph Victoria (a, l, 3pm); Tuesday 16: Ledbury Town (h) in the Worcester Infirmary Senior Cup (7.30pm); Saturday 20: Loughborough University (h-L, 3pm); Tuesday 23 Westfields (away, league, 7.45pm); Saturday 27-Cradley Town (away, 3pm).