Hillsiders Grab, Then Nearly Squander A Point…
Malvern Town 2-2 Westbury United…
The Mowdog’s thoughts…
This encounter was largely memorable for its finale, which included an equaliser for Town in added time and then United struck a post, as desperate measures became evident at Langland Avenue.
Errors in Malvern’s first period possession game had presented Westbury with several unexpected offensive advances, usually involving the bright play of Bevan Cross and the scrapping nuisance of central striker Ackeem Stewart, who would prove to be instrumental when his team took a surprise lead, through an own goal.
Town had begun in pushy fashion and when Harry Clark was included in attacks, ably supported by left-sided defender Ben Baxter, the visitors looked vulnerable, although in fairness, United skipper Aaron Cockerill and sidekick Dan Restorick handled most of the Malvern threats with aplomb.
Parity had been regained before the interval with a smart finish by home skipper Joe Tumelty and although the game was untidy for some while after the recess, a strike by replacement Josh Jenkins on the break for Westbury, amid a flurry of stoppages for free-kicks and a host of substitutions, hurled the match into a frenetic finish.
Jordan Annear’s header actually salvaged a point for Malvern but Jenkins’ left-booter for the guests then struck the base of an upright as the game ebbed away.
The opening period…
Despite some moments of anxiety in United’s 18 yard box from the start and some danger emanating from the Malvern left-flank, no clear chances were actually created. Subsequently though, home defender Charlie Johnson drove too high from downtown and a Tumelty free-kick was charged down by United’s united defensive wall.
However, slack play by Town had already seen Cross drive a low effort wide for the guests and the same player then saw a shot blocked, only for the rebound to fly just too high from Cole Fleming’s boot.
Another Hillsiders mistake allowed Aaron Witchell to fire in an attempt from 22 yards but Town goalie Josh Bishop stood firm and beat the ball away for a corner. However, the visitors were awarded a goal when a low Cross centre from the right was challenged for in the 6-yard rectangle by Stewart, Malvern defender Dion Molyneux and Bishop, resulting in a three-way collision and the ball popped up into the net for an-own goal by the Town player.
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| CROSS PROVIDES THE ASSIST... |
...STEWART & MOLYNEUX CHALLENGE WITH BISHOP... 
...& MALVERN CONCEDE AN OWN GOAL...
A left-footer by Tumelty from 18 yards was palmed upwards and then caught by visiting goalminder Joel Butler but the skipper wouldn’t be denied after picking up on a headed clearance by Westbury at 18 yards. He shifted right but struck an instant and really neat shot into the left corner of the net, leaving Butler helpless as the ball careered past him.
TUMELTY VEERS RIGHT... 
...& FIRES A GOOD GOAL... 
...PAST BUTLER...
After the locker-room tea and biccies…
Often scrappy and interrupted, the second-half was awkward for Malvern, currently second in the league standings, for not only were Cockerill and Restorick in stubborn form, gloveman Butler also made some decent interventions to frustrate the hosts.
He saved a downward header from Molyneux easily, tipped aside a lob from home replacement Lewis Platt, who also rolled a shot wide, before knocking clear a couple of high deliveries as Malvern’s set-pieces, including long throws, exerted some pressure on the Westbury rearguard.
One of the best moments of the game thus far arrived from an instinctive left-flank centre by Baxter, which was met by a fine glancing near post header from Town striker Piers Walton but although the effort entered the net via the far stick, a linesman’s flag was waving for offside. Now that was a swift and clinical piece of offense, which was missing for much of this game.
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| WALTON'S HEADER OFF A POST... |
...WAS DISALLOWED...
One of Baxter’s right-side corners was nodded clear at the near post by United’s tall substitute Ryan Bole but it was Westbury, through the pace of replacement Ben Starr, who claimed a very late lead.
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| OFF THE GOAL-LINE BY BOLE... |
The forward raced away on the right, his low centre was hacked clear by Molyneux but only to creative midfielder Brad Selwood, whose low delivery from the right edge of the 18 yard box flew to the unmarked feet of Jenkins at inside-left, who had time to steady himself and shoot past the covering Bishop to nudge his team ahead again.
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| JENKINS STEADIES HIMSELF... |
...& SHOOTS... 
...TO MAKE IT 1-2...
From a long left-wing throw, industrious home midfielder Matt Macdonald leapt to head the ball goalwards but Butler’s height and athleticism helped him to tip the effort aside splendidly.
At the other end, Jamie Jordan’s free-kick was headed wide by Restorick but with the end nigh, the desperation increased and from a deep cross on the right by Town substitute Luke Salter, Molyneux rose high to head the ball back into the centre of the penalty-box, where both Annear and Macdonald jumped together but it was Annear’s head which looped the ball inside the right post for a dramatic equaliser.
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| A CENTRE BY SALTER (17) IS MET BY MOLYNEUX'S TOWERING HEADER... |
...ANNEAR RISES HIGHER THAN MACDONALD... 
...& IT'S 2-2...
Incredibly, the visitors initiated a fast break at inside-right by Starr, who set up a chance for Jenkins but as defenders milled back for Malvern, the substitute saw his left-foot shot bounce clear from the bottom of the right stick…
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| JENKINS' LATE EFFORT REBOUNDS FROM A POST... |
What an ending to the match it was…
The final words…
Firstly, thanks to Malvern’s Chairman Chris Pinder for arranging entrance to the ground for me and to other members of his staff whose welcome was typically warm.
Certainly, despite the team’s performance possibly not being up to par, there was a good work ethic produced by Malvern’s Joe Bullock and Macdonald in midfield, although frankly, Harry Clark and Walton looked frustrated at times at the paucity of accurate service.
Baxter’s first twenty minutes were lively, Levi Francis looked busy on the right at times but Tumelty proved to be effective throughout.
Westbury’s defence was well marshalled by Cockerill but his team was ably represented by the two Witchells, Aaron and Ethan, Fleming and Selwood too. Cross was the main danger though, looking tricky and inventive on occasions…
Starr’s pacy cameo was a boost for the visitors and I am not writing that only because his dad was standing to my left… (Honestly…)
So, a point apiece on balance was perhaps an acceptable result, especially as the right vertical pole at the Parking-Lot end defended Jenkins’ late shot rather well, which had it gone in would have sent the guests home a-whooping and a-hollering…
ACTION IMAGES FROM THE GAME...
MALVERN HAVE EQUALISED AT 1-1... 
WESTBURY CELEBRATE GOING 1-2 AHEAD... 
ONE KNEE IN SUPPORT OF THE BALL... 
JORDAN DOESN'T LIKE THE LOOK OF THE REFEREE, SO HE HIDES BEHIND CLARK... 
"YOU'RE OK, IT'S NOT PILES..." 
REF: "A BIT DAFT TO PUT SUPER GLUE ON YOUR GLOVES, JOSH. NOW LOOK WHAT'S HAPPENED..." 
THE REF SHOWS HOW TO MAKE THE QUEEN OF HEARTS DISAPPEAR... 
ABOVE & BELOW:
'TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM' MEANS TO FEIGN INJURY, SO EVERYONE ELSE CAN HAVE A DRINK AND A FAG...
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| TOUGH TO CELEBRATE AN OWN GOAL... |
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| THE WESTBURY WALL WOULD BLOCK TUMELTY'S FREE-KICK... |
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| IT'S LIKE A REHEARSED THING. EACH PERSON JUMPS AFTER THE ONE IN FRONT... |
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| COCKERILL, LEFT: STRONG PERFORMANCE... |
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| ...ALONGSIDE RESTORICK (6)... |
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| CROSS (17) PLAYED WELL FOR UNITED... |
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| BUTLER (THE GOALIE): "I'M ONLY HUDDLING IF YOU'RE ALL MY HEIGHT. NO-ONE? GOOD, BUGGER OFF THEN..." |
