Malvern Town secured a late 2-2 draw in their Southern League Premier Division debut against Hanwell Town on Saturday. The visitors initially took the lead late in the first half, but Malvern’s resilience helped them earn a point in a closely contested match at The Gym.

Hanwell Town opened the scoring in the 42nd minute when Dwayne Duncan headed a corner that struck the bar before the ball crossed the line, with a slight touch from Malvern’s Sam Clark confirming the goal. The home side responded quickly, with captain Joe Tumelty converting a penalty shortly before halftime, marking Malvern’s first goal at Step 3 level.

Early in the second half, Hanwell regained the lead as Henry Snee was left unmarked to head in a cross delivered by Jordan Espirit. Despite falling behind again, Malvern Town pushed forward in search of an equalizer. Ibrahim Sankoh’s powerful shot was saved by Hanwell goalkeeper Charlie Binns, who had recently joined the club. Binns also denied a chance from substitute Kobe Chong later in the game.

The deadlock was finally broken in the final minutes when Sam Clark found space in front of his marker and finished neatly past Hanwell’s goalkeeper Sam Beasant to level the score at 2-2. Both sides had further opportunities, but neither could secure a winner in the closing stages.

Malvern Town’s performance demonstrated their ability to compete at a higher tier following their recent promotion, while Hanwell Town showed fighting spirit despite relinquishing the lead twice. The draw provides both teams with a valuable point as the season progresses.