MALVERN TOWN 1-4 DUDLEY TOWN: MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

Geddes Orchestrates, Davies Executes, As Hillsiders Stall Against Lively Dudley

Malvern Town 1-4 Dudley Town

Certainly the inclusion of Sean Geddes and Alex Perry in the Dudley midfield contributed hugely to the visitors’ victory at Malvern. Simple, effective passing by the pair, allowed the clever Jake Walton to express himself creatively and skipper Chris Rabone pulled into wide positions on the offensive right, stretching the home defence on occasions. Dudley’s Jordan Davies threatened on the offensive left and resulted in the best one-on-one contest of the evening, against Malvern’s experienced defender Steve Webb. In truth though, Dudley netted at the right moments during this encounter, although both teams managed to go close to scoring on a few occasions before half-time, yet after an equaliser had been found, home skipper Louis Loader lashed a free-kick against an upright, before Rabone’s delivery was nudged over his own goalkeeper by the lunging Jamie Sauntson’s head to regain the lead for the visitors before the break.

THE SKIPPERS BOTH WORE 10...

Strangely, despite a good deal of possession during the second period, in all honesty, Malvern’s finishing was so inaccurate that visiting goalie Shane Mayhew’s most difficult save was to clutch a low header by his own team-mate Todd Perry. And then, in timely fashion, Davies rapped in two late goals to leave the Hillsiders looking shocked and limp, oddly both goals coming after the substitution of the playmaking Geddes. Loader will probably feel that he might have scored on a few occasions for the hosts but it was refreshing to see Dudley, a team on the road, attempting to pass the ball whenever possible, relying on the pace of their forwards to cause awkwardness for Malvern’s Sauntsons, Jamie and Adam.

DUDLEY START IT...

TODD PERRY: A BLAST FROM THE PAST...

CHRIS RABONE: KINDLY SPOKE TO ME BEFORE THE GAME...

That opening half had already seen a Rabone shot deflected well wide and a Davies shot curl too high but a couple of opportunities fell to Alex Perry, who once drove off target, then saw the ball ricochet wide off his boot following a corner, after which the ball was changed (again) and also he later shoved a rebound into the side-netting when home ‘keeper Charlie Weaver managed to beat out a swerving near post free-kick by Geddes. Geddes it was who scored the opening goal when he latched onto a clearance before firing a low shot from 22 yards, just right of centre which entered the net inside the left post, with Weaver possibly unsighted.

0-1: GEDDES THE SCORER...

The hosts had begun the match in sprightly fashion with both wide-players, Ben Lane and Harry Clark using their skill and pace to cause problems for their guests. One Lane run was halted by a foul but the referee played on, even though a 19 yard free-kick shot at goal might have brought an early goal opportunity. Josh Hunt looped a header from James Febery’s cross onto the roof of the net, Clark did well along the byeline but Mayhew grabbed his centre at the feet of Loader but the winger then miscued a header from a decent position and sliced a 20 yard drive well off target too. Certainly Loader was the instigator of most of the good work for Malvern during the opening 45 minutes. He often linked well with surging left-back Aaron Griffiths and also Lane but twice his low passes into the 6 yard box found no colleague nearby, before he had a shot blocked by Todd Perry, another beaten away by Mayhew, following good work by Lane, Febery and Griffiths, then of course he struck the left upright with a 23 yard free-kick from the inside-right channel. 

RABONE: WORKED THE RIGHT FLANK...

WALTON AND GEDDES REHEARSE THEIR KARAOKE ROUTINE...

Loader did provide the cross for Hunt’s equalising goal however, right-footed from the left and Hunt rose high to execute a slightly looped header which dropped under the crossbar with Mayhew totally helpless.

1-1: HUNT THE SCORER FOR MALVERN...

The Dudley skipper had already clipped a rebound towards goal after Weaver had saved at Walton’s feet but home defender Adam Sauntson had nodded the ball from the goal-line. However Rabone edged his team back ahead before the break when Alex Perry fed Geddes, whose low pass to the right was clipped dangerously goalwards by Rabone. As Weaver the ‘keeper rushed forth to jump and deal with the danger, his defender Jamie Sauntson deflected the ball over him and into the vacant net with an unfortunate miscued header. 

RABONE CLAIMS GOAL 2 FOR DUDLEY...

BEN LANE WATCHES THE CELEBRATING GUESTS...

Half-time arrived but two dogs continued their walks on leads round the edge of the pitch and one lady owner fetched a ball for a bunch of substitutes who were shooting at goal during the interval. She wasn’t walking a retriever, then… Febery was too hurt to carry on for Malvern and was replaced at half-time by Matt Turner, who probably came the closest to scoring for his team during the second period with a header and a left booted shot. He nodded Loader’s free-kick over a gaping goal from 3 yards, unable to keep the effort down and later in the half cut inside but was unable to find enough power in his low left-foot shot, allowing Mayhew to save with comfort.

SECOND PERIOD...

STEVE WEBB: DECENT BLOKE, WHO ALSO ACKNOWLEDGED ME...

Loader shot well wide, Webb missed with his left boot too high then miscued badly with his right boot, Jamie Sauntson drove way off target, Phil Harris powered a shot too high and Clark shot straight at the goalminder. At least Todd Perry’s low defensive header forced Mayhew to make a more difficult save and although the ‘keeper fumbled the ball a couple of times, his recoveries were good enough to prevent disasters. So, lots of possession for the hosts but little in the way of reward, as Lane faded from the match, for Clark was now playing wide left and Turner wide right. Hunt wasn’t too involved either and realistically Loader was the only real threat for Malvern.

"NAH, WASN'T ME, REF..."

GEDDES (8): CREATIVE...

MILLING ABOUT...

Dudley rode the good fortune of the Hillsiders’ inaccuracy and although they fashioned just five really decent chances in the second-half, two of them were converted. A Davies shot struck the upper arm of I think Harris, Rabone drove a decent effort too high and just before Davies scored his first goal, replacement Jake Brigdale forced a low save from Weaver. However, when Dudley snaffled the ball inside their own half, Alex Perry needed no further invitation to slot a fine through-pass at inside-right for Davies to latch onto. Webb was alongside him for much of the way but as Weaver raced out, Davies’ nudge had enough power to roll into the empty net.

1-3...

DAVIES THE SCORER FOR DUDLEY...

As time ran out, Davies got free on the left, drew Weaver out, sidestepped him veering left and slipped a confident angled conversion again into an empty net. 1-4 and slightly flattering perhaps but Dudley had taken their chances clinically, whereas Malvern’s shooting had been profligate to a degree.

1-4: POINTS WON, COURTESY OF DAVIES AGAIN...

Having won 1-5 at Dudley Town earlier in the season, this was a game that Malvern must surely have expected to win but their footballing opponents stuck to their passing game and subsequently snatched the three points. Walton, Alex Perry and Geddes really did solid jobs in midfield, central striker Connor Hadlington rushed unselfishly after every ball without reward and Rabone and Davies contributed three of the four goals, as well as some attacking danger. 

MATCH OVER...

For the Hillsiders, Webb battled manfully as usual against a tricky opponent, Lane was lively before the break, Clark showed moments of fine pace and Griffiths impressed at left-back. 

In the end though, James Bland, Josh Garbett, Todd Perry and Ryan Bridgewater, the Dudley back-four, held firm beneath the Malvern hills…

TEAMS:

MALVERN TOWN:

CHARLIE WEAVER, STEVE WEBB, AARON GRIFFITHS, ADAM SAUNTSON, JAMIE SAUNTSON, JAMES FEBERY, HARRY CLARK, PHIL HARRIS, JOSH HUNT, LOUIS LOADER (CAPT), BEN LANE.

SUBS:

MATT FUSCO, DAN NOKE, MATT TURNER, JON GRIFFIN, MATT PINDER.

DUDLEY TOWN:

SHANE MAYHEW, JAMES BLAND, JOSH GARBETT, TODD PERRY, RYAN BRIDGEWATER, ALEX PERRY, JAKE WALTON, SEAN GEDDES, CONNOR HADLINGTON, CHRIS RABONE (CAPT), JORDAN DAVIES.

SUBS:

JAKE BRIGDALE, LEWIS MITCHELL, MARK BENNETT, WILL FELLOWS, OWEN MASSEY.