Malvern 31-19 Kenilworth

The game was in doubt due to the heavy rain but the referee deemed the pitch playable, just.

Playing with a strong south westerly at their backs and making light of the muddy track, Malvern showed their attacking intentions early on with their fly half sending his centre through on a clear break and the chip ahead being gathered by the scrum half running an intelligent inside line to score the first try.

The conversion by their full back (more of whom later) was good to make it 7-0 before two minutes had elapsed. Kenilworth rode further pressure with good tidying up work by skipper, Ted Bromwich, but on eight minutes Malvern crashed over at the posts after their pacey full back gathered a kick and released the left wing to set up field position for the try which was successfully converted to take the score to 14-0.

Kenilworth were struggling to make inroads ball in hand but a Malvern offside gave fly half Aled Balman the chance to set up territory in the Malvern 22.

An excellent line out drive - again Kenilworth's most efficient attacking weapon - yielded another line out from which Bromwich crossed for the try. Balman was successful with the conversion for a 14-7 scoreline.

Kenilworth made good territory from the restart but Malvern produced the score of the day when their full back cut a great line just outside his own 22 and made 70 metres past despairing tackles to score behind the posts for another successful conversion and a score of 21 -7.

Kenilworth had the lion's share of possession for the next 10 minutes but, save for a couple of half breaks by Balman, the play was lateral and when Kenilworth coughed up the ball in midfield leading to a Malvern penalty the hosts increased their lead to 26-7 at half time after a strong break by their 12 and a finish in the right hand corner.

Kenilworth began the second half energetically and aggressively, winning a succession of penalties and, from a Malvern transgression five metres out, forward power enabled Fin Gibson to score with a successful Balman conversion narrowing the score to 26 -14.

Sensing the chance of a comeback Kenilworth began to probe but a couple of loose kicks allowed Malvern to counter and when a Kenilworth scrum was deemed illegal, Malvern kicked to the corner and eventually went over to make the score 31-14.

In the act of trying to prevent the score Kenilworth's Gareth Renowden took an accidental gash to the knee which forced him to leave the field.

Kenilworth's defence from the restart was excellent and when Brain secured an excellent turnover and then carried hard into midfield Kenilworth began to sniff another score. And when a line out drive was motoring towards Malvern's line it seemed a try was inevitable but a turnover was won and Malvern cleared. Possession was pretty much all with Kenilworth but, again, penetration was at a premium.

However, Malvern infringements continued and from another line out drive the ball found its way to replacement Mark O'Connor whose cross field kick was finished by the alert Hector Smith to give Kenilworth hope of a losing bonus point or two.

From the restart Kenilworth attacked from deep and, when a penalty was secured in the home 22, expectations rose only for the line out to be lost and the whistle to blow for full time. Another strong second half from Kenilworth but, again, not enough to secure the points.

The game ended at 31-19 to Malvern.

No doubt the squad will regroup in the week with a strong focus on two crucial games in the run up to Christmas.