KETTERING I 12, MALVERN I 27.

MALVERN made it six wins out of seven as they put in a clinical performance to win in Northamptonshire.

A fast and furious start saw the visitors force a penalty after four minutes, full-back Chris Hooper taking the points.

With Malvern’s pack securedgood ball and driving forwards, space was created for Dave Hadkiss and Cameron Pimlow at half-back to work the ball quickly out to the three quarters.

From an 11th minute scrum their adventurous play was rewarded as the ball went along the line for Greg Summers to cut back through the middle of the defence for a well-worked try. Hooper converted and Malvern tails were up.

The Spring Lane side took control of proceedings throughout, Mark Chivers, a late call-up at prop slotting in well as the front five powered the scrum. Gareth Taylor and Owen Jones dominated in the line-out as Kettering struggled to compete in the pack, whilst their reliance on the crash ball to their big centre was negated by some fine Malvern tackling.

A Hooper penalty, adjudged wide by the referee when given by the touch judges, kept up the pressure, and in the 35th minute the two Malvern wingers made inroads to set the ball up for the forwards.

James Thomas carried the ball on and Jones finished the move off, Hooper converted from out wide.

Malvern finished the half in style when Beechey and Hooper put pressure on the defence, he ball then whipped across to summers for his second score and a 22-point cushion at half-time.

In the second period Kettering started to play with more purpose and tested the Malvern cover several times, albeit in the middle of the field.

Away from danger, the referee sin-binned Jones for putting his hands in the scrum.

A succession of controversial decisions, not only against Malvern, gave the game a disjointed feel, but Malvern stuck to the task and in the 67th minute a scrum was won, Summers went on a blistering run and fed Beechey for the killer blow.

Gareth Taylor was yellow carded when he accidentally clashed heads whilst clearing out at the ruck.

With the game in the bag, Malvern started to ring the changes, Ryan Henshaw coming on for Pimlow, Xaoding Han re-appearing in Malvern colours after a three-year gap for Thomas and Simon Daws gave way to Adam Green.

Han proceded to wreak havoc against his opposite number as Malvern’s seven-man pack drove the Kettering eight backwards.

In the dying minutes an over-enthusiastic long pass was intercepted to give Kettering a consolation breakaway converted try.

Then, with a couple of minutes left, some good work by the home forwards gave them another score, but Malvern had already set the seal on another good performance.