MALVERN received a reality check in Midlands Two West (South) on Saturday as they slumped to a disappointing 32-15 defeat to Pinley.
Dave Irish’s men were on a high after wins over Old Leamingtonians and Old Yardelians but Malvern, who were playing in National Three only two seasons ago, were unable to repeat last week’s heroics, which saw them come back to defeat Old Yards, as Pinley took the game by the scruff of the neck and refused to let go.
The visitors started well in the opening ten minutes, but chances were wasted through knock-ons and poor lineouts, which allowed the Coventry side to open the scoring.
An Ollie Rayner penalty cut the deficit, but the home side went on to secure a healthy 17-3 lead at half time thanks to two further tries.
Malvern also failed to make their numerical advantage count when Pinley had a man sin-binned, while the loss of debutant Jordan Nwachukwu with a dislocated shoulder added to their woes in the opening period.
Pinley continued to control the game after the break and extended their lead with their fourth try of the game.
Tries from James Southall and Richard Fleming made the scoreline look more respectable, but Pinley also added to their tally to seal a convincing victory over Malvern, who face a trip to Midlands Two (North) leaders Bridgnorth in the Intermediate Cup on Saturday.