Evo-Stik Southern, West

Cirencester 4 Slimbridge 0

A spirited performance by the Swans as they came up against a strong Cirencester team playing on their new 5G pitch for the first time.

The game started at a fast pace with end to end attacks by both sides on the zippy 5G surface.

A Sean Lawson cross early on was collected in the air by home keeper Mateusz Wieczorek after some great link up play from Henry Birkett and Sam Turl.

At the other end, Swans keeper Ollie Hall did well to tip a 20yard shot from Tommy Oulridge round the post and out for a corner.

A few minutes later Oulridge again forced Hall to push a close range shot wide of the post. As the home side started to dominate the game, they were unlucky not to take the lead when Ben Whitehead headed against the bar from a corner.

It was Whitehead who put the visitors ahead on 34 minutes beating two defenders in the box and slotting into the net under the advancing Hall in the swans goal.

The visitors almost equalised two minutes later, an Adam Mace through ball to Lawson on the left and his shot from a narrow angle was pushed around the post by the home keeper.

From the Swans corner, Cirencester gained possession and it was Whitehead who took advantage of the space on the edge of the Slimbridge box to hit a screamer into the top right corner to double the home sides lead.

On the stroke of half time Hall was called into action twice the first a point blank save from Oulridge and then from a close range shot from Henry Spalding.

A change in formation in the second half saw the Swans push forward in search of a goal, a Mace cross from the left was met by Joe Wilton who's header was well saved.

On 69 minutes Whitehead completed his hat-trick with an individual goal, picking up the ball on the halfway line and passing two swans defenders before slotting past Hall.

Birkett tried his luck from the halfway line but his shot sailed just wide. Late on a Mace cross found Lawson but his shot only found the side netting.

Aiden Bennett completed the scoring for the home side with a close range header beating Mace to the cross in the box.

Unfortunately for Mace, he landed awkwardly suffering an injured hip and had to be stretchered from the pitch, however it was not too serious only bruising.

Slimbridge: Hall, Turl, Mace, Hoskins, Hoyle(Emerson-Harper 45), Pring, Twyman(L Payne), Birkett, Lawson, Bryant, Wilton(Turner) Supporters Man of the match: Henry Birkett