Vowles hat trick sinks Swans

Slimbridge started brightly when Edji Mbungas shot was blocked after some neat football from Danny King.  However it was the visitors that opened the scoring on 7 minutes, Lucas Vowles found space on the right and his chip over Lewis Adams from the corner of the box found the top of the net.

Christien Turner got his head to a corner a few minutes later, but his effort sailed wide of the post. On 20 minutes Bristol Manor Farm were awarded a soft penalty when Adams was judged to have fouled Lewis Bamford when attempting to claim the ball to the right of the goal.  Vowles duley stepped up and dispatched the kick to give the visitors a two goal lead.

Five minutes later a free kick from Manor Farm caused trouble in the home box, Ben Prictor clearing the initial effort before a deflected shot resulted in a corner that came to nothing.  Ben Deakin fired in a dangerous looking cross on the half hour mark but keeper Luc Rees was in the right spot to claim the ball.

The Swans pulled a goal back on 34 minutes, King being trapped inside the visitors box and awarded a penalty for the offence.  King stepped up and fired past the fingertips of Rees.  Three minutes later King was fouled on a mazy run through the middle, the referee gave Slimbridge the advantage but failed to make anything of the chance.

Slimbridge piling on the pressure to get an equaliser before the end of the first half fired in a free kick from the left that was cleared as far as Prictor who’s first time shot fell into the arms of Rees.

Early on in the second half, Vowles sent a long range effort wide while Johan Flo was fouled on the edge of the visitors box, the free kick was cleared and as Manor Farm attempted to break Myron Turner blocked the run earning himself a yellow card. 

On 52 minutes Adams pulled off a great save to tip Vowles 20 yard shot over the bar.  Five minutes later at the other end, Jay Malshanskyj and Mbunga linked up on the left, Malshanskyjs shot was saved by Rees and the resulting corner put pressure on the visitors before the ball was cleared to safety.  

King tried his luck with a narrow angle shot from the right but it cleared the top of the bar.  Down at the other end, Christien Turner managed to block and deflect Lewis Leigh-Gilchrist shot wide for a corner.  The corner was claimed in the air by Adams.

As Slimbridge looked for an equaliser, Manshanskyj found Rees with a long range shot with just over 15 minutes remaining.  Manor Farm still looking dangerous going forward hit the side netting through Bamford, however a minute later Vowles found the net from close range to claim his hat trick and give the visitors victory.

Another busy week ahead for the Swans, The first team travel to Bideford on Saturday and then onto Highworth Town on Wednesday looking for much needed league points.  The reserves on the back of last weeks superb win travel to Moreton Rangers on Saturday and the Under 18s face St Nicholas on Sunday at the British Legion playing fields.

Slimbridge: L Adams, B Deakin, B Prictor, M Turner (D Turner 81), C Turner, J White, J Flo (W Hawes 72), M Ford (J Stokes 65), J Malshanskyj, D King, E Mbunga

Subs not used: N Humphreys, O Giles

Attendance: 156