MALVERN I XV 21, CHESTER I XV 16.

EDF Intermediate Cup second round Midlands.

THE on-field celebrations by players and coaching staff alike at the final whistle said it all.

An air of relief rang around Spring Lane on Saturday as Malvern RFC finally got that winning feeling for the first time this season.

There may not have been any valuable league points gathered by their 21-16 EDF Cup win over holders Chester, but the confidence, battered and bruised for nearly three months by nine straight defeats, may just have been restored.

Tries from Tom Beechey, Greg Summers and Luke Greenwood were enough to see off Chester as Malvern kickstarted their campign with a morale-boosting victory.

Dave Robins’ side showed great organisation with the forwards dominating line-outs and scrums with second row James Hynes directing traffic for the home side.

Full-back Chris Hooper also had his kicking boots on, a point which may have cost Chester the win as their fly-half Tom Foden missed numerous penalty chances and conversions.

With no league points at stake, Malvern played with confidence and flair in large parts of the match, dominating the play and kicking for touch intellegently on many occasions.

Despite Chester taking an early lead through a Tom Foden penalty and a try in the 29th minute from Richard Moore and a further touch down from Ross White, Malvern re-grouped and stormed into a two-try recovery just before the break.

First Thomas Beechey crossed the line in the first minute of first-half stoppage time and then two minutes later winger Greg Summers resembled Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt when he stormed through the midfielder, running over to the left-hand corner and going over after an impressive 40-metre run.

Malvern could have been forgiven for not wanting the first period to end but carried on their fine form when Luke Greenwood finished off a four-man sweeping move across the pitch for his side’s third and final try of the match.

But the Spring Lane side’s hold increased with the introduction of John Clark and Andy Murphy to the front row, strengthening the platform as legs tired.

Despite a late penalty score from Foden, Malvern hung on for a tense but well-deserved victory.

With additional power in the pack owing to the return of James Hynes, and Jamie Gwynne at scrum-half giving his opposite number some close attention, Malvern looked more solid up front than of late.

The reward for Saturday’s win sees Malvern now facing Luton at Spring Lane in the third round of the Midlands section of the competition on Saturday, December 13.

MALVERN: Drew (Smith, 74mins), Greenwood (Thomas, 67), Ling, Taylor, Hynes, Martin, Strong, Jones, Gwynne, Pimlow, Summers, Fleming, Watkins, Beechey, Hooper.

Tries: Beechey, Summers, Greenwood.

Cons: Hooper (3).

Pens: None.

CHESTER: Hughes, Williams, Whitelock-Wainwright, Beckwith, Sanger, White, Chappell, Foden, Coy, Lawton, Champler, Green, Moore, Legat.

Tries: Moore, White.

Cons: None.

Pens: Foden (3).

H-T: 14-13.

REFEREE: Andrew Attwell (Warwickshire Society).