Swans Joint Manager Adam Coyle paid tribute to his team, as they recorded their third win in the last four games at Wantage Town last night. A Shiyak Sutherland first half goal saw Slimbridge return from Alfredian Park with three points that see them currently in fourth position in the Hellenic Premier League.

‘Full credit to the players – away from home, we’ve been absolutely superb this season, with probably one of the best records in the League, so full credit to the players on a difficult night, in difficult conditions against a tough side. They worked really really hard and kept us honest throughout, and it was going to be a scrappy, weird goal that won it, and it was. 

But we’re delighted with the three points, that was the aim, and that’s what we’ve got. 

We’re delighted with the win – it wasn’t a great spectacle by any stretch of the imagination, it was an awful game to watch. I think the ball spent more time in the tress than it did on the pitch. 

So it was one of those games where we had to keep the players completely focussed, when the ball is out of play so much, you’ve got to really concentrate, and fair play to the boys – again – we’ve been brilliant away from home all season, and that’s obviously our last away game now. 

At half time we just told the players we wanted to keep the ball better, really. It was a case of when we had it we had to look a bit better, we were being rushed with it, and we felt as if we had more time on the ball. I felt we rushed it first half. After the goal, I thought we were brilliant.

In the second half, credit to Wantage, they came out and had a right good go at us, and we just had to weather it and manage it, and we did that brilliantly.’ 

This was certainly not a game for the purists, but on a damp evening in Wantage, it was the visitors who made the better start – Jack Smith was unlucky after eight minutes when Wantage Keeper Tom Rees gathered the ball ahead of him following a Slimbridge corner, and then Rees again thwarted Smith after great work from Theo Clayson, scrambling the ball away. 

With 16 minutes gone, Nath Dennis was too high with an effort following a Sam Blackie Free Kick, before Wantage had their first effort on goal, Jack Fountain seeing his effort go well wide. 

Wantage nearly took a shock lead on 23 minutes, when Josh Elms chased down a back header from Harrison Coker, and lobbed Swans Keeper James Holder, only to see his effort drift wide. 

Blackie was just off target for Slimbridge just before the half hour mark, after a superb run from Bogdan Mara set him up, and then Smith again was just too high with a free kick as Slimbridge dominated. 

Five minutes before the break, the deadlock was broken – Coker and Sutherland combined superbly down the Slimbridge left flank, and Sutherland’s dangerous ball into the Wantage box – whether intended or not – lofted over Rees and into the far corner of the goal to put the visitors ahead. 

A minute before half time, Dennis and Sutherland created a superb opportunity for Slimbridge to double their lead, but no-one was able to get on the end of Sutherland’s cross. 

The second half started with Smith again being unlucky as the ball slipped away from him in the Wantage box, before Coker and Sutherland combined again, with Sutherland seeing his effort blocked for a corner which came to nothing.

The game developed into a stalemate as Slimbridge rode out the Wantage pressure at the start of the second period, with Clayson, Sutherland and Rudi McKinnon all going close in a second half of little note. 

Slimbridge now face a stretch of four home games on the bounce to end their season, starting on Saturday when Hereford Pegasus are the visitors to Thornhill Park. 

Coyle is looking forward to the game – ‘Saturday will be a really really tough game, they’re a good side, they’ve got goalscorers in their team, a quality side, but ultimately, it’s three points. We’ve got four home games in a row now, twelve points on offer, and we want to go and get all twelve.’

Team: Holder, Mara, Coker, Turner (Hands 58), Dennis, Hitchings, Sutherland, Smith (Mbunga 85), Neill, Blackie, Clayson (McKinnon 78)

Goal: Sutherland 40

Supporters Club Man of the Match: Nathan Dennis

At Thornhill Park on Tuesday, The Slimbridge Under 18’s side defeated Lydney Town 5-2. Goalscorers were Kieran Bennett (2), Will Tainton, Shamar Thomas and an Own Goal.