Malvern Town 3, Biddulph Victoria 1.

MALVERN started their campaign in the Aspire Midlands Alliance with a convincing home victory.

Chris Palmer’s side took just 90 seconds to take the lead when captain Stuart Hughes crossed to Lee Hooper on the edge of the area and he rifled the ball into the left-hand side of the goal. Malvern continued to press and, in the sixth minute, Mason Mansfield played a delightful ball into the area which Hughes reached after he had ran diagonally to collect it but his shot was smothered by the Biddulph defence.

But the visitors equalised in the 11th minute.

Tristan Hamilton, who was the visitors’ best player, ran down the left and crossed the ball and, with the Malvern defence hesitant, Darren Chadwick headed into the back corner.

This lifted Biddulph and they started to pressure Malvern and, in the 35th minute, Lewis Skyers in the Malvern goal brought off a good save.

A minute later the ball was played upfield and Hooper’s header was cleared off the line by Adrian Baggeley.

In the 40th minute the ball was played to Joe Kings whose hard work and determination led to him crossing the ball from the byline which appeared to strike a Biddulph arm but the referee awarded a corner.

Malvern started the second-half with a substitution as Craig Williams replaced Kyle Knott.

Straight from the kick-off the ball was played to Mansfield and he crossed to Hooper who ran into the area and was brought down by keeper Will Smith.

The referee showed the red card to Smith and Scott Burge, Biddulph centre-half, took over the keeper’s shirt for the visitors. Bryan Craven fired the penalty to his left-hand side and into the net.

Malvern made the most of having a player extra and played attractive football and, in the 61st minute, Richard Barnes took a throw in from the left-hand side into the area and Paul Ireland headed the ball over the struggling Bidduph defence into the net. This sealed the result and Malvern had no problem holding onto the points with this opening day victory.