MALVERN Town made the perfect start to the new season with a 3-0 opening day win against Mousehole.
Goals from Harry Clark, Ryan Brunt and Levi Francis helped the Hillsiders to a comfortable win at the HDAnywhere Community Stadium.
The result means Malvern sit fourth in the Southern League Division One South table.
Both teams struggled for rhythm in the opening half-hour as Malvern goalkeeper Seth Locke made the first save of the match.
The chance appeared to wake Malvern up as debutant Matt Fulloway saw his header easily held by Mousehole stopper Lewis Moyle.
Lee Hopper’s side remained in the ascendancy as Brunt fired over before Sam Clark lashed a shot wide from a tight angle.
The hosts created one further chance before the break with Joe Bullock only able to find the side netting.
However, the introduction of H Clark just before the hour mark turned the game in Malvern’s favour.
H Clark put the Hillsiders ahead with his first touch on 57 minutes with a calm finish beyond Moyle when one-on-one from Piers Walton’s pass.
And H Clark then won a penalty following some head tennis in the Mousehole penalty area as a visiting player bundled the Malvern man to the ground in the box.
Brunt stepped up and sent Moyle the wrong way from the penalty spot with a confident finish into the bottom left corner.
And the hosts wrapped up the points on 81 minutes as S Clark passed to Francis who lashed a shot into the left corner of the goal from just inside the penalty area.
Francis almost scored again at the death only for Moyle to make a fingertip save to deny the Hillsiders a fourth goal.
Malvern are next in action against Larkhall Athletic on Wednesday, August 13 with kick-off at 7.45pm at Plain Ham.
