For the second time on the bounce over the Christmas period, late goals cost Slimbridge dear, as they fell to two successive Hellenic League defeats – firstly on the road at Lydney Town, and then back at Thornhill Park where Longlevens left with all three points. 

At Lydney, Dean Griffiths converted Edji Mbunga’s cross with a neat header to put the visitors ahead, but an equaliser just before half time from Callum Dark, and then a 91^st minute free kick converted by Joe Keeping saw the home side take the spoils. 

It was a similar story at Thornhill Park seven days later, where Ben Hands gave the Swans the lead with just ten minutes on the clock, a lead that they held until the break. 

However, two goals in eight second half minutes from Jordan Alderman and Charlie McCrea put the visitors on top. 

Twelve minutes remained when Marley Thomas levelled things up, before picking up two yellow cards in an increasingly fractious end the to game. 

The game was won for Longlevens in the 83^rd minute, when Joey Haswell curled a peach of a strike past Ellis Parker from outside the box to nick the points.

Joint Manager Tom Deakin couldn’t hide his frustration speaking after the game – ‘Disappointing, that is the key word. It was a very very good first half from us – professional, in terms of the conditions, but in the second half, for fifteen minutes we didn’t turn up. They have managed the game really well, and got back into it. Then we got back into it, but we threw away a point. 

It was a good finish from Joey, but disappointing on our part, and then in injury time, it’s just not acceptable what has happened. That’s not us. 

There were lapses in concentration, people were not doing our jobs properly, they didn’t do what we asked them to do in the second half. At the end of the day, players are given a job to do, and today they didn’t complete it, and it cost us. 

Fair play to them, they got the lead and then broke up the play as and when they needed to, and we didn’t deal with it. The stop start nature of the game is something for us to deal with, in terms of handling it better. We didn’t play our normal game, and it’s frustrating. 

Our next game (against Hereford Pegasus on New Year’s Day, 3.00pm Kick Off) is one where we have to be going to get three points. We’ll then reassess where we are, and rebuilt – it’s the start of a New Year, and if we get three points on Monday, this will all be forgotten. 

We’ve got to patch ourselves up and go again, but full credit to Levens, they battled harder than we did in the second half and deserved the three points. ‘

Team vs Lydney: Parker, Clayson, Turner (Neill 67), Blackie, Hitchings, Mara, Kouisseoue (Thomas 55), Hands, Griffiths, Reeves, Mbunga

Goal: Griffiths 18

Supporters Club Man of the Match: Sam Blackie

Team vs Longlevens – Parker, Hunt (Thomas 65), Prictor (Kouisseoue 65), Turner (Smith 80), Hitchings, Mara (Mbunga 80), McKinnon (Clayson 55), Hands, Neill, Blackie, Reeves

Goals: Hands 11, Thomas 78

Supporters Club Man of the Match: Ben Hands