Harry Clark's 85th minute penalty rescued a point for Malvern Town at mid-table Fairford Town last weekend to ensure they stay second in the Hellenic League Division one table.

Having slipped to 3-0 behind just after the break, goals from Joe Bates and Kyonn Evans saw The Hillsiders get to within one before the hosts were reduced to 10-men when Archie Noel Brennan received a second yellow card.

Town pushed and finally got their equaliser when Clark's spot kick hit the back of the net, to ensure the visitors did not leave empty handed.

By Malvern's high standards, it was a shocker of a first-half against Fairford and the hosts took advantage of some sloppy errors to take a firm grip on the match.

First, a free-kick was not cleared in the 25th minute and Robbie James bundled the ball over the line after the ball pinged around the box.

Good defending in front of goal from Curtis Smith saw him thwart the home side as the conditions became more difficult and it then got worse for Town.

After keeper Keiron Blackburn had saved well to thwart Thomas Golledge, the home side doubled their advantage just past the half-hour mark when a loose ball out of defence was lashed home by (the brilliantly named) Biagio Mazzotta.

The second-half started in the worst possible manner for Malvern as Danny Gudger swept the ball home to make it 3-0 before the comeback started.

It took just three minutes for the visitors to spring into life as Bates finished off a lovely flowing move to reduce the deficit.

A free-kick in a promising position was deflected wide from Bates before Town pulled another goal back when Dave Reynolds delivered a delicious ball into the area and Kyonn Evans was there to nod it in with 66 minutes on the clock.

Then came the turning point as Brennan was given his marching orders after a foul on Reynolds forced the referee to show a second yellow and reduce the hosts down to 10.

Malvern were pushing and with five minutes left, Evans was fouled in the box and Clark stepped up to coolly slam the spot-kick home and secure a point.

A final goalmouth scramble almost saw the away side steal the win at the death but in the end Malvern had to settle for what was an unlikely point at half-time.