Slimbridge returned from Devon with another three points on the road, as they stretched their unbeaten League run to four games,  and moved themselves up to Ninth in the Southern League South League table. 

After the victory over Bashley last weekend, Willand Rovers were seen off with another clean sheet for the Swans’ back line, and Manager Tom Speers after the game declared it ‘The best performance of the season’. 

Two goals early and late in the first half – one from Brad Bevan, his first for the club, and Ethan Dunbar just before the break saw Slimbridge return up the M5 with three well deserved points. 

Slimbridge started the game on the front foot, and Jack Holmes as early as the first minute saw an effort blocked, while Edji Mbunga saw another early effort deflected for a corner which came to nothing. 

However, in the sixth minute, a lovely ball from Joe Shutt set up Brad Bevan, he turned his man and then steered his effort past ex-Slimbridge Keeper George Burton to put the visitors ahead. 

By eleven minutes, the game could have been over – a through ball was latched onto by Mbunga, but his effort lobbing Burton ended up in the roof of the Willand net, and the hosts got away lightly. 

The home side started to get themselves back into the game, helped by some sloppy passing from the Swans, and Lewis Adams in goal was called into action twice in the 17^th minute, making two superb stops to deny Willand’s Adam Kelly. These saves were to prove crucial in the overall arc of the game. 

Kelly was making good inroads into the Slimbridge defence, and was just off target on the half hour, before Ryan Guppy forced another good stop from Adams as the home side pressed. 

The game turned again in the last five minutes of the first half – after Ethan Dunbar had a decent shout for a penalty turned down, Shutt and Ben Hands combined superbly to set him though one on one with Burton and The Swans’ leading scorer made no mistake and doubled the lead. 

The second half was a much quieter affair - William Richards had a good run and shot off target three minutes into the second period, while on 66 minutes, Dean Stamp should have done better when one on one with Adams, but again his lob was into the roof of the net, as Slimbridge defended superbly. 

With ten minutes remaining, James Sunley saw his effort go into the Willand side netting, while Sullivan McKenna was off target for the hosts, but Slimbridge held on for three richly deserved points. 

Manager Tom Speers was understandably delighted after the game – ‘It was our best performance of the season. For the first time this season, we started really well – flew out of the traps and scored a really well worked goal – then we had a really crazy 15, 20 minutes where they played well, but we gave them all the chances, we were sloppy in possession, and we gave them three or four chances. 

But the second half - our game management, the way we controlled the tempo of the ball and create chances – I think we only allowed them to have one real chance, but I thought we were superb. We built on a superb defensive display, I think Toby (Lawrence), (Jacob) Geddes, Shutty (Joe Shutt) and Harvey (Skurek) were all really good, they commanded Lew (Adams) behind, and every one of them played their part – once you’ve got that solid back line, playing well, you know you’re going to create chances. As I said, to a man, we were absolutely superb today. 

Our performance had everything – I keep on saying that Ethan (Dunbar) will keep scoring if you put chances in front of him, and we’ve got to keep on doing that. 

But even in the second half, when we defended a bit more and they went a little longer, we broke really well, and when we had to keep the ball we did it. Our whole game in the second half was really really good to watch. 

It’s really good to get two wins on the bounce – we’ve played a couple of the big boys and thought we were a little hard done by, but winning two away is very pleasing – we’ve done a lot of travelling this month, so to turn up at the end of the month with two away wins and two clean sheets as well…as a defender that’s one of my foundations, so I love it.

It will be nice to return to Thornhill Park – the reason that I do all the travelling and the boys do all the travelling is that we love it there. We love going down to play there, and hopefully we can put on a good performance next weekend.’

The Swans return to Thornhill Park on Saturday when they entertain early pacesetters Exmouth Town (1^st October, 3.00pm), before travelling to Yate Town in the GFA Trophy the following Tuesday (4^th October, 7.45pm).

Meanwhile the Under 18 side continue their FA Youth Cup journey when they travel to Chippenham Town on Friday (30th September, 7.30pm Kick Off). This tie follows their 12-0 Floodlit League demolition of Evesham United Development at Thornhill Park last Tuesday.

Team: Adams, Shutt (Francis 82), Skurek, Hands, Geddes, Lawrence, Mbunga (Turner 65), Sunley, Dunbar, Holmes (Prictor 76), Bevan

Goals: Bevan 6, Dunbar 44

Supporters Man Of The Match: Lewis Adams