Spartans 33, Malvern 29.

Coppice Lane witnessed the crime of the century as Spartans snatched a late win from a talented and well balanced Malvern side who arrived on the back of a string of very impressive league results.

Both sides tested each other out early on and both sides missed a kickable penalty each before Tom Hardy broke the deadlock with a fine strike for Spartans, but Malvern were well organised and responded with three points of their own. Two quick tries from the Men In Black, one out wide and one straight through the middle opened up a gap which the visitors chased hard, but Spartans rode their luck and survived some good attacking play from an adventurous visiting side. A yellow card left Spartans anchored in their own half for long periods, and it was fortunate that a rare visit into Malvern territory provided three more points to leave the scoreboard at 20 - 3 when the half time hooter sounded, but a sense of unease was in the air with only half a job done.

From the restart it was all Malvern as they kept the ball well and probed the black defence, and as the competitive Christmas spirit took over the injury toll started to rise. Both sides took casualties but Malvern spotted a mismatch on the wing and the excellent Tom Hale struck for 20 -10. Spartans rallied and bagged another penalty, but it was Malvern who had all the momentum and good combination play saw lightning strike twice in the same place down the left, and suddenly the visitors held a one point lead. The visitors sensed this was their time, and so it proved as a missed tackle allowed a final Malvern try but crucially the relatively simple conversion sailed wide. Chasing a six point gap with only four minutes left saw Spartans find a good position and as the ball was worked to the left Alex Garbett crossed for a fine try which Tom Hardy converted, and another costly Malvern mistake saw a black penalty which added insult to injury. The final restart proved a frantic affair but Spartans secured the ball and a hefty boot towards Middleton secured an unlikely and unconvincing win.

Despite a lacklustre performance, Spartans enter the Christmas break on the back of a good first half to the season and will enjoy the festive break before resuming with a home tie against Nuneaton Old Edwardians in January.