PERSHORE TOWN 0-2 MALVERN TOWN: THE MATCH REPORT & THE IMAGES...

Hillsiders Break Vase Hopes Of Plucky Persians…

Pershore Town 0-2 Malvern Town

I understand that both teams were changed from Sunday’s 1-1 draw, a match played at Evesham United’s ground, with Malvern’s starting eleven missing Curtis Smith, James Febery and Adam Saunston, whilst Pershore were without Steve Webb, Umit Eminoglu and Matt Gwynne. However, in this replay the hosts would lose both skipper Shaun Griffiths and midfielder Dane Aldington at the same time, through injuries sustained around the half-way mark of the opening period, although replacements Jack Allerton and Matt Pinder certainly pulled their weight. A goal in each half by Malvern’s Harry Clark and Kyonn Evans won the tie for the guests but despite the game being surprisingly untidy, yet by no means venomous, several chances were scorned by both teams.

RATHER A DARING DISPLAY OF FLAGS...

Just before Harry Clark scored his goal, the hosts had gone close three times in quick succession, through Pinder, Zaq Hussain and Nick Seabourne but Clark’s strike was unerring from just outside the 18 yard box and the visitors held that lead until the interval. The Hillsiders’ ‘keeper Haydn Whitcombe made good stops from Pinder, Hussain and Seabourne during the second period but Kyonn Evans’ spectacular late strike was the killer blow and thus the Persians bowed out of the tournament.

REF: "HEY BEN, HAVE YOU GOT A BROTHER CALLED BILL?"

BEN MILLER: "NOT FUNNY REF, NOT FUNNY AT ALL..."

KYONN EVANS (9): FINE GOAL FOR THE HILLSIDERS...

Too many errors were made by both teams in this often scrappy contest in truth but it seemed to the neutral that Malvern appeared to have the more dangerous forwards in their line-up, as Evans and Clark constantly worked channels  and caused some consternation for home defenders Dan Noke and Allerton. Full-backs George Hayes and Sam Hunt marauded often too, whilst skipper Louis Loader was invaluable in midfield for his crew. Home left-back Jordan Hayward played strongly at times, Noke and Allerton stuck to their rearguard tasks well, whilst Seabourne was simply embroiled in a battle with Jamie Sauntson and Harry Wickett. Hussain sparked on occasions on the right-side but left-flanker James Baldwin found himself in a keen, often unrewarding tussle with the speedy Hayes.

SHAUN GRIFFITHS IS DOWN...

GOSSIP...

Before the interval, little of note was worthy of mention until those three attempts at goal by the Persians, although Hussain had shot weakly at Whitcombe, who was then involved in a messy melee following a free-kick. Seabourne’s set-piece reared up off the defensive wall, via Phil Harris’ head, Persian Sam Clark nodded the ball on too, as did Malvern’s Matt Turner, leaving Whitcombe stranded and causing a header off the goal-line by I think Wickett. Pinder’s fine free-kick from 24 yards, inside-left flicked the outside of the right upright, then a rasping drive from 16 yards by Hussain, inside-right channel slapped against the face of the crossbar, before Seabourne broke and his lobbed effort dropped too high. 

THE SKY IS CLARET & BLUE & MALVERN LIKED THAT...

Earlier, Harris had shot wide for the visitors, Loader’s 25 yard free-kick and an effort by Harry Clark went low to home replacement goalie Toby Wilcox, Evans’s effort from the left drifted too high and when the striker fed Hunt, he shot really well but just too high from distance. The busy Ben Miller miscued off target too but following the trio of near misses for the hosts, Harry Clark punished Pershore when Sam Clarke’s difficult over-shoulder clearance fell to him, 22 yards out, inside-left slot. The winger lashed a shot goalwards which appeared to rear up and bounce over the unfortunate Wilcox into the left corner of the net.

HARRY CLARK'S SHOT FLIES INTO THE NET...

CELEBRATION...

HARRY CLARK: A LIVELY PERFORMER...

The second-half really showed little dominance by either team, although Whitcombe covered himself in some glory for his club. Noke glanced a header wide from a free-kick, the goalie stopped Pinder’s low effort, before a Seabourne header caused mayhem in the 6 yard box. Whitcombe might have been baulked by Pinder, the loose ball fell and as Miller attempted to clear it, Pinder swung a boot too and the ball flashed past the left post. Whitcombe then advanced from goal to block bravely as Pinder slipped clear and then blocked a tough shot by Seabourne following some neat dribbling by the big forward, cutting in from the left. A diving intervention by Whitcombe deflected a fine cross-shot by Hussain for a corner and by that time, it looked like Pershore were simply not destined to score. 

LAND-BORN, SEABOURNE STARTS HALF TWO...

JORDAN HAYWARD: STRONG RUSHER.
UP FRONT SOMETIME, MAYBE...

Subsequently though it would be the Hillsiders who sewed up the victory with Evans’ fine strike but already Miller had lobbed the ball across the face of goal and dragged a low left-booter past the near post from a good position. Harry Clark had headed downwards straight at Wilcox at the left upright and in the final moments, his low centre was nearly turned into goal by the sliding Brian Craven, who had already had a shot deflected for a corner. Loader drove too high in the embers of the tie but most folks present will remember the second Malvern goal, as Evans cut inside from the left and struck a superb drive into the top right corner of the net from downtown…

"NO REF, I'M NOT COMING ANY CLOSER, YOUR AFTER-SHAVE IS SHIT..."

0-2: SPOT THE KYONN...

It did appear that Persians Jamie Smith, Hussain and Baldwin might have been cautioned, as was Loader, who had actually been dismissed in the 1-1 draw two days before.

PERSIAN WALL...

Both teams fought well on the bank of the river, but it did seem that the Hillsiders’ cutting edge, er, edged the victory, despite the efforts at goal conjured up by the Persians. 

NO, KYONN, LEAP-FROG IS PERFORMED FROM BEHIND...

KYONN WANTS A SPOT IN THE OLYMPIC GYMNASTICS TEAM...

Success for Malvern then but I reckon that Pershore would be mightily pleased by their showing on the night, especially as they played the final 65 minutes of the tie minus five starters… 

TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR PERSHORE...

LOADER IN TROUBLE...

... & A YELLOW CARD IS DUE...

TURNER LOOKS ASTOUNDED AT THE TREATMENT HE HAS JUST RECEIVED.
HUSSAIN WALKS AWAY BUT HE WOULD BE RECALLED TO THE SCENE FOR A CAUTION...

TEAMS:

PERSHORE TOWN:

TOBY WILCOX, JAMIE SMITH, JORDAN HAYWARD, DANE ALDINGTON, SHAUN GRIFFITHS (CAPT), DAN NOKE, ZAQ HUSSAIN, SAM CLARKE, NICK SEABOURNE, JAKE CAVENS, JAMES BALDWIN.

SUBS:

MATT PINDER, BEN LANE, ANDY PAWSON, JACK ALLERTON, TOM HARDING.

MALVERN TOWN:

HAYDN WHITCOMBE, GEORGE HAYES, SAM HUNT, PHIL HARRIS, JAMIE SAUNTSON, HARRY WICKETT, MATT TURNER, LOUIS LOADER (CAPT), KYONN EVANS, BEN MILLER, HARRY CLARK.

SUBS:

MATT FUSCO, BRIAN CRAVEN, CURTIS SMITH, ADAM SAUNSTON, LEE HOOPER.