JOE Bates maintained his good form in front of goal as he helped Malvern Town reach the semi-finals of the Wiseman Lighting Floodlit Cup.

Bates and Adam Sauntson scored after the break to record a 2-0 quarter-final win over Westfields at the HDAnywhere Community Stadium.

Having scored winning goals against both Cribbs and Worcester Raiders off the bench in recent weeks, Bates started from the off on Tuesday night and his 14th goal of the season with 20 minutes to play effectively decided the tie.

Defender Sauntson had headed Malvern in front within 60 seconds of the restart in a game they never really looked like losing.

Co-manager Lee Hooper had feared his side might struggle so soon after their 2-1 league win over title rivals Cribbs at the weekend, but his fears were put to rest with a decisive second-half display.

"I thought first-half we looked a little leggy after Saturday, I thought that was quite evident," he said.

"But at half-time we all agreed we needed to move the ball a bit quicker, up the tempo and just dictate the game.

"And we did just that. We got the early goal and I think we controlled it really well after that and on the whole, thought we deserved the win."

Malvern now have a weekend break from football as other sides in the league catch up with games that have been postponed in recent weeks.

"I think you need it every now and then," he added.

"We had a couple of weeks of being low on numbers and some injuries but we are getting the squad back now. It will be good to get a bit of a rest and take stock before going again in a weeks time."