Swann song forces replay

Willenhall Town 1-1 Malvern Town

By Martyn Simpson

An intriguing encounter had all the ingredients to be a potential Cup classic, and no one could have left Noose Lane disappointed with the high quality entertainment served up by two committed sides.

Willenhall had the lions share of the chances, but the visitors notoriously deadly forward line always looked like they had goals in them. In a game where conditions made it extremely difficult for defenders, it was the home side who fired the first warning signal. A long kick out from debutant keeper Danny Tipton was flicked into the path of Gary Hay courtesy of John Quilt’s header, but Hay lobbed well over. Soon after, Hay and Quilt teamed up with danger man Nicky Campbell – operating in an unfamiliar left sided role – to tee up Lee Vaughan whose low drive was saved.

Malvern had their moments too, and an incisive breakaway saw Mark Owen’s stinging effort provide Tipton with his first real test. In the 18^th minute a routine ball over the top gave the visitors the break they needed. Indy Khela slipped on the sodden surface, and Owen picked the ball up on the right. His left footed cross picked out strike partner Mark Shepherd, whose header put Malvern a goal up.

This signalled the visitors’ purple patch, as they sought to press home their early advantage. Neat link up play saw Owen fire wide, before Darren Bullock’s ferocious 30 yard free kick bought the very best out of Tipton, who turned the ball round the post with a diving save to his right.

The home side began to respond, and Quilt had three free kicks of his own in the closing period of the first half, but the finish was lacking on each occasion. A free header from a corner provided Quilt’s best opportunity though, but he rose early and headed over.

If the first half just about belonged to Malvern, the second belonged to a rampant Willenhall. Mark Swann replaced Chad Sheppard at the interval, and the impact was imminent. Hay wriggled into space and saw his shot saved just thirteen seconds after the restart, but within two minutes the Reds were level. Seemingly under pressure at right back, Sean Platt coolly flicked the ball over an oncoming attacker, and swept the ball left. Precision passing saw the ball worked out to the left flank where Swann played a one-two with Hay and planted a low drive into the right hand corner of the net.

From then on, it was one way traffic as Malvern began to tire. Martin Myers wasted a great chance before again great work from Hay saw him somehow carve out an opportunity but his thunderous effort crashed off the underside of the bar and rebounded to safety. Willenhall won the ball back, and a cross found its way to Hay but his free header was glanced wide when he should have hit the target at the very least.

Campbell was causing all kinds of havoc down the left flank, and his cut back eventually reached Hay, but with Craig Humphries beaten, luckily for the visitors Marc Burrows was on hand to clear off the line.

Reds line up: Tipton; Platt, Newall, Khela; Vaughan, Holland (Danks 85), Myers, Sheppard (Swann 45) Campbell; Hay, Quilt (Perrow 76). Subs not used: Rochester, Rowe

Malvern line up: Humphries, Chalmers, Burrows, Heaney, R Tomkins; Jukes (Whittington 76), Bullock, Halion (Roberts 58), P Preedy (L Tomkins 82). Subs not used: D Preedy, Wyatt