Malvern Town 2

Wellington 2

WELLINGTON produced a fine performance to hold West Midlands League Premier Division pacemakers Malvern Town to a draw and collect a well-deserved point.

It looked as if the fifth-placed Herefordshire club were going to suffer defeat when they trailed 2-1 and had skipper Mark Fish sent off in the closing stages. When a home player handled it appeared to be a clear-cut penalty call. But the referee surprisingly ruled otherwise and Fish was sent off for dissent.

Soon after justice was done. Tom Herbert sent a long throw-in into the goalmouth where Peter Wallace rose above the home defence to net with a well-timed header.

Wellington were first to score, opening their account in the 27th minute through Matt Williams. After the interval the visitors were well on top but in the 55th minute Malvern equalised.

Dale Withers was adjudged to have handled - a far less obvious case than Wellington's later penalty claim - and Des Cox netted the spot-kick. Buoyed up by this change of fortune, on 71 minutes the leaders went in front. Phil Preedy whipped over a cross which Dean Roberts flicked into the net.

After that it was nip and tuck until the concluding eventful minutes.