Bristol Manor Farm were left heartbroken in a dramatic 5-4 defeat at Malvern Town in a game that had everything—goals, controversy, and a gut-wrenching finish deep into injury time.
The match couldn’t have started better for The Farm, as Louis Britton fired them into an early lead after just five minutes. A well-worked corner from Josh Bissett was cut back to Britton at the near post, and the forward emphatically drove the ball home to put the visitors in control.
It could have been 2-0 just five minutes later when Rhys Thomas found space on the edge of the box, only to see his effort sail over the bar. But as Manor Farm looked to extend their advantage, Malvern hit back against the run of play. Debutant Ibrahim Olateju exploited space on the left-hand side in the 18th minute and squeezed the ball past Seth Locke, despite the young keeper getting a hand to it.
Bissett, a constant thorn in Malvern’s side, played a key role in The Farm’s second goal. His blistering pace on the 22nd minute tore through the Malvern defence, and there was Britton again to slot in his second, restoring Manor Farm’s lead and sending their travelling supporters into raptures.
However, just as The Farm looked to head into the break with the advantage, a defensive mix-up proved costly. A clearance from Aron Robbins was misjudged by Jacob Spence, allowing Charlie Johnson to pounce and fire past Locke in the far corner, making it 2-2 moments before half-time.
The second half started with fireworks. Spence almost put The Farm back in front, but his header was brilliantly tipped onto the stanchion by Malvern keeper Alex Kovacevic. Then, on 62 minutes, Malvern finally found their way through again as Sam Clarke beat the offside trap and slotted home, putting the hosts ahead for the first time.
Barely a minute passed before The Farm were awarded a penalty after Kovacevic brought down Britton in the box. Britton calmly stepped up to complete his hat-trick, leveling the game once again at 3-3.
With memories of last week’s 5-5 draw against Helston still fresh, The Farm seemed to be locked in another goal-fest. Olateju, proving a real menace throughout the evening, grabbed his second in the 73rd minute to give Malvern the lead once more.
But Manor Farm weren’t done yet. With just 10 minutes left, new signing Olly Sully made an instant impact, weaving past three Malvern players before his deflected shot fell to Britton. From 20 yards out, Britton unleashed a stunning volley into the top left corner to level the match once again at 4-4. It looked like The Farm had snatched a dramatic point from the jaws of defeat.
However, the final blow came in injury time. Malvern’s Sam Clarke bundled the ball home in the 92nd minute, breaking Manor Farm hearts and sealing a 5-4 win for the hosts.
This marked Manor Farm’s first defeat since their FA Cup exit to Easington Sports in August. Manager Lee Lashenko’s side will now look to regroup as they prepare to face Melksham Town on Saturday afternoon.