Club top goal-scorer Dan Mason gave the Boatmen the lead just over a minute into the game as he headed in from a corner.

It was the Swans who responded and got themselves back into the game as Ben Prictor went close with a shot after Levi Francis found the defender high up the pitch with a ball over the Sholing defence. 

However, the best chance of the first half came to Rudi McKinnon who pounced on a defensive mistake, his shot was brilliantly stopped by Ryan Gosney in the Sholing net, and the follow-up was then hit wide from the forward. 

The second half started just as the first finished, with the away team on the front foot.

Will Hawes had an enticing ball planted on his head from Rudi, but his header was well met by Gosney in goal. 

Later in the game, it was Francis who went close to equalising for the Swans. A goal-line scramble was eventually cleared to the midfielder who turned and curled a shot which was heading straight into the top corner of the Sholing net until Gosney tipped it over the crossbar.

Minutes later, appeals for a penalty were turned down by the referee as the away side was led to believe a Rudi shot was handled on the line by a Sholing player. 

With bodies forward trying to get the equaliser, goalkeeper Luke Bell had to be alive to deny a Sholing second as they broke on the counterattack.

Despite the constant pressure on the home side’s defence, Sholing were able to see the game out and record their sixth straight win, leaving them 10 points clear at the top of the Southern League Division One South table.

Swans manager Tom Speers said after the game that it was ‘annoying’ not to get anything from the match.

“It’s annoying, again, conceded from a corner, 90 seconds [into the game] I think it was. But after that, we were the team on the front foot. In the second half I think we were the only team that looked like scoring.

“We are on a little bit of a bad run at the moment, but I can’t fault any of the boy’s commitment and effort. They’re doing exactly what we’re saying. We know that we are playing good football, we just want to make sure that our good football turns into points.” Speers said.

The manager also highlighted the importance of performing like this against Saturday’s opponents, Larkhall Athletic. 

“We’ve got to be consistent. We have to take that [the performance] into Larkhall, of course we do. It’s important that we go and take points against them because they’re in and around us now.” 

The performance from the Swans warranted at least a point and Speers hailed the effort his side put in.

“We’ve come down to Sholing in top of the table, they batter teams physically off the park, and I think for the second half we matched them. Better on the ball, and they didn’t get out of their own half much until the end when we are chucking bodies up.

“But we compete with currently the best team in the league, so it’s a good sign.” 

Up next for Slimbridge is a trip to 15th-placed Larkhall Athletic on Saturday as the league campaign continues. 

Kick-off for that one is at a slightly earlier time of 2 pm.

Team: Bell, Geddes, Prictor (Mbunga, 75’), Turner, Dennis, Lawrence, McKinnon, Hands, Hawes (Dunbar, 65’), Francis (Sunley, 65’), Thomas.

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Kick-off time confirmed for game against Larkhall - javascript:nicTemp();

Luke Bell signs for the Swans - javascript:nicTemp();