HARRY Clark scored a brace as Malvern Town earned a fourth straight league victory with a 4-2 win away at Shaftesbury.
Clark struck either side of half time at Coppice Street after Yuri Quintas opened the scoring inside two minutes for the visitors.
And Ben Baxter sealed the points for the Hillsiders after Louis Sweeten and Lewis Brown had twice reduced the deficit for the hosts.
The result means Malvern remain second in the Southern League Division One South table, 11 points clear of the chasing pack in the race for a play-off place.
Lee Hooper’s side made the perfect start when Quintas finished Baxter’s deep cross at the back post after good work from Clark.
The visitors dominated the opening quarter-hour as Baxter saw his effort from distance travel inches over the crossbar.
Shaftesbury almost drew level moments later when Toby Holmes found space on the edge of the box and lifted a shot over Josh Bishop only for the ball to bounce wide.
However, Malvern doubled their lead on 26 minutes as Clark met Quintas’s cross from the touchline and tapped home.
The home side halved the deficit two minutes later when Sweeten guided the ball into the net after getting himself inbetween the Malvern centre-backs.
Malvern looked to restore their two-goal cushion as Joe Tumelty forced Shaftesbury goalkeeper Ben Taylor into a save before Joe Bullock curled a shot inches past the post.
And the visitors found a third goal after the break on 53 minutes when Clark tapped in his second of the game after Taylor could only parry Luke Payne’s initial effort.
Shaftesbury kept themselves in the contest on 68 minutes when Brown prodded an effort past Bishop.
However, the Hillsiders quickly restored their two-goal lead on 76 minutes as Taylor fumbled Baxter’s dangerous corner into the net.
Malvern are next in action against Willand Rovers on Wednesday, March 25 with kick-off at 7.45pm at Silver Street.
