MALVERN Town boosted their hopes of a late play-off surge thanks to a 2-0 win at local rivals Evesham in the Southern League Division One South.

Striker Jack Watts provided the assist for both goals in the first-half before The Hillsiders dug in for a rare clean sheet on the road in the second-half.

Watts had the first chance of the game, curling just wide from inside the Evesham box but it was the hosts who went on to dominate possession in the first-half.

Former Malvern winger Ethan Moran’s shot almost caught keeper Josh Bishop out, but the heavy deflection off Adam Sauntson fell kindly into his arms and the Malvern keeper had to act quickly again to claw a header off the line.

But having spent a lot of the game in their own half, it was the visitors who took the lead on the half-hour mark.

Harry Clark did brilliantly to play a ball down the left channel for Watts to chase and eventually cross into the box, where Annear was there to power a header home.

Malvern then doubled their lead in the 38th minute as Watts again turned provider. The striker controlled a cross in the box and unselfishly cushioned a pass into the path of Bullock to tap home from close range.

Evesham started the second-half, now in the driving rain, on the front foot and thought they had taken the lead when Freddie Wilcox turned the ball home, only for the linesman's flag to cut their celebrations short.

The Robins threw everything at Malvern, who blocked everything as they withstood the barrage of attacks.

Will Owens and Levi Steele came closest to getting The Robins back in the game but in truth, Bishop was not properly tested in the Town goal and it was a deserved clean sheet for the away side.

The result moved Malvern to within six points of the play-offs, with two games in hand, whilst Evesham remain four points away.