Friar Lane and Epworth 0, Malvern Town 0.

FOLLOWING heavy defeats in their previous three games, Malvern Town returned home from Friar Lane and Epworth with a point and a clean sheet.

With both teams in the bottom four of the Baker Joiner Midland Alliance, it was always going to be hard work with neither side creating any clear-cut chances at goal.

However, the better of the opportunities fell to Malvern and their lack of a proven goalscorer proved to be their Achilles heel.

The visitors had the two best chances of the first-half.

In the 10th minute Damien Fearn’s shot went through keeper Andrew Simpson’s legs but he was able to retrieve it before it crossed the line.

In the 40th minute a corner was cleared out of the area and fell to Tom Allard whose 30-yard shot hit the crossbar.

The second-half was the same as the first and in the 65th minute, Allard spun, fired his shot which shaved the post with the keeper beaten.

A few minutes later Fearn weaved his way into the box and was brought down, but the referee awarded a goal-kick.

In the 76th minute after Fearn had been brought down just outside the area but Ian Farney’s shot went straight to Simpson standing behind the wall.