Malvern Town vs Rushall Olympic

Both clubs report that Rushall Olympic regained the lead just past the hour mark. A delivery from the right by Carter Lycett was met by Andre Wright, who headed home from close range. This goal is not reflected in the provider match data, which records only the two first-half strikes.

"We regained the lead just past the hour-mark when a ball in from the right was headed home by Andre Wright from a Carter Lycett cross," the Rushall Olympic match report confirms.

Malvern's Auryn Macdonald hit the side-netting as Town pushed for a second equaliser, but with both sides making a raft of substitutions — Malvern made five changes at half-time alone — the game lost its rhythm in the final half-hour and petered out.

• Joe Bullock (Malvern Town): Scored the equaliser with a composed finish from midfield, capping a strong first-half display.
• Sam Clark (Malvern Town): Central to Malvern's best attacking work — his hold-up play created the equaliser, and he fired over the game's first chance inside the opening minute.
• Trialist A (Rushall Olympic): Opened the scoring with a 12th-minute header from McAlinden's cross and was a physical presence in the first half.
• Andre Wright (Rushall Olympic): Introduced from the bench and scored what both clubs describe as the 61st-minute winner with a close-range header.

The provider data shows only two goals (12', 33') and no cards, reflecting the incomplete nature of third-party data capture for pre-season friendlies at this level. The fact that both clubs independently published full match reports with identical descriptions of the match — including the Wright goal, the same first-half scorers, and near-identical accounts of the key moments — lends weight to the 2-1 scoreline. The extensive substitutions (five at half-time for Malvern alone) are typical of pre-season friendlies and partly explain why the second-half goal was not logged.

Pre-season is now complete for both sides. Malvern Town, who won promotion via the Southern League Division One South play-offs in 2025/26, will turn their attention to their Premier South debut. Rushall Olympic, who finished 11th in the NPL Premier Division last season, continue preparations for their 2026/27 campaign. Both clubs have announced new signings in the past week — Malvern unveiled a new addition on 31 July, while Rushall confirmed the capture of Kade Craig on the same day.

A useful workout for both non-league sides, though the final scoreline depends on the data source. The first 45 minutes served up an even contest with a goal apiece, while the second half was heavily disrupted by substitutions. Pre-season friendly data at this level is often incomplete, and both clubs' official reports confirm Rushall Olympic as 2-1 winners.