Malvern Rangers 3, Dudley United 1.

IN-form Dudley United travelled to Malvern on the back of five successive wins and, for the first 10 minutes, looked the brighter of the two sides in this West Midlands League Division Two clash.

Rangers quickly settled into their stride and started to dominate the game. Ed Lyons and Lee Hooper both went close before Dudley’s Craig Edwards burst through a static defence and keeper Ian Hill did well to save with his knees.

With 25 minutes played, Lyons put the left-back under pressure out near the touchline and the defender’s wayward back-pass to his goalkeeper Liam Jones was overhit, so much so that the ball bounced off the crossbar and away for a corner.

David Reynolds was the pick of the Malvern side and created a number of chances throughout the game. On one occasion he intercepted the ball in his own half, worked a one-two with Hooper and then fired past Jones for the opening goal.

Tim Clarke then set up Paul Edwards with a chance and, as his first shot was blocked, the latter caught the rebound on the half-volley and skimmed the crossbar.

Andy Fletcher played a lovely crossfield ball to Rob Cullen and, rounding in on goal, he fired straight into Jones’s arms.

Rangers doubled their lead when Ollie Endacott curled a ball around the defence for Hooper to chase and, winning the foot race, he fired past Jones.

Hooper should have scored again when, latching on to Jamie Thomas’s free-kick but having done the hard bit, he fired wide of the upright.

With 61 minutes played, Hooper headed on for Endacott and the winger raced down the line and crossed to the near post where Lyons met the ball and drove it into the roof of the net.

The visitors raised their game a little and were unlucky not to score when Edwards was presented with an open shot on goal.

Instead, he managed to sliced his shot wide of the target.

A one-two between David Lawrence and Hooper saw the latter’s fierce shot blocked on the goal-line.

A few minutes later, Joe Endacott joined the attack for a set move, and when the ball fell to him six yards out, he blasted the ball so wide it went out for a throw-in.

Many more chances fell for Malvern, the best of which saw Lawrence’s shot saved one-handed by Jones.

With 10 minutes left, Dudley were finally rewarded for their efforts as Liam Smith crossed to Edwards and he fired past Hill from 25 yards.

Tenbury United 1, Malvern Rangers 1.

MALVERN Rangers travelled to Tenbury for this West Midlands League Cup semi-final first leg and got off to a poor start, as a car carrying three players turned up late for the kick-off.

These late enforced changes unsettled the side.

The game flowed from end-to- end without any real domination and it took 25 minutes for James Argent to create the opening chance, as he picked out Ollie Endacott, but his snap-shot was way over the crossbar.

Five minutes later, Tenbury’s Chris Breakwell worked his way down the right wing and closing in on goal, it was midfielder Tim Clarke who raced back and blocked the shot and a certain goal.

A few minutes later further pressure by Tenbury saw a shot cleared off the line by Rangers defence and then the right winger fired in a shot which was parried by keeper Ian Hill into the path of Breakwell who tapped home.

Cullen’s long throw-ins have been a feature of Rangers’ success this season and, when he picked out Endacott on 47 minutes, the striker went agonisingly close with his first-time shot. Tenbury were unlucky to lose the services of Breakwell, who dislocated his shoulder diving for one header which, fortunately for Rangers, bounced back off the upright.

The introduction of latecomers Paul Edwards, Bryan Cravenand Reynolds had a positive effect on the game as Rangers asserted full control.

This improvement saw Lyons grab an equaliser late on.