Slimbridge progressed to the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup with victory over Malmesbury Victoria on Saturday. Our opponents were drawn out of the hat as the home side, but, due to the unavailability of their pitch until September, the game was payed at Thornhill Park. 

 

I thought we started well – actually to be fair they started better – but once we had a little grip on it, that next ten/fifteen minutes when we scored, we were on top. 

 

They managed to break the game up well, to be fair to them, but first half we moved the ball well, we could have been better – I don’t think we got Jack or Shiyak into the game as much as we could have, although Shiyak created the goal. 

 

There’s definitely areas we can work on.

 

Both goals for Theo were tap ins at the back post, it shows what we’ve got in terms of goalscoring ability. We might have lost a couple of players in the Summer who could score goals, but Theo’s already on the scoresheet a couple of times this season, so it’s good. 

 

Toby was good – we’ve liked Toby from the minute he turned up for training – he gets on the ball and moves it, he helps us out defensively, and he deserved the goal in the end for his performance. 

 

We were expecting an aggressive game, we watched them a couple of times last year, and how they got themselves promoted. They were a good side going up last year – Hard working, ratty, they win the ball, they are good at what they do, and I think they will do well in the League this season.'

Malmesbury made the better start initially, with Andy Baker failing to get on the end of Danny Gudger's dangerous cross with just three minutes on the clock, but the Swans hit back - Shiyak Sutherland, Jack Smith and Will Hawes combined to set up Toby Soule, but his effort was saved by Malmesbury Keeper Travis Wood. 

The Swans took the lead on eight minutes - Jacob Rodger's Free kick saw a break down the Slimbridge left from Sutherland, and his cross was tapped in at the far post by Theo Clayson to put Slimbridge ahead. 

Slimbridge then had the better of the first half play - Nathan Dennis' header from Rodger's corner was deflected for a corner, before Will Hawes audacious effort from just outside the centre circle saw Wood back-pedalling only to see the effort drift just wide. 

Charlie Hitchings was marshalling the Swans defence superbly, as well as getting crucial challenges in - his block on 34 minutes prevented a certain goal from George Evatt. 

Two minutes from the break, Slimbridge doubled their lead - a cross this time from the right by Myron Turner saw Clayson again in the right place to tap the ball in from a yard out to double the Slimbridge lead. 

The introduction of Liam Harper saw a good effort from the substitute just off target following Clayson's effort as the second half developed, and Harper was again denied a couple of minutes later. 

With 20 minutes of the second half gone, another superb stop from Hitchings denied Chalmers Phin, but Malmesbury clawed their way back into the game courtesy of a 66th minute penalty, awarded when Jack Smith (Not our one!) was felled as he made his way into the Slimbridge box. 

Phin converted the resulting penalty to reduce the deficit. 

Despite the setback, Slimbridge retained control of the game, although Andy Baker and Kyle Pitts had efforts for Malmesbury to level things up. 

After what looked like a stonewall penalty denied by Referee Sam Myatt following Clayson being steamrollered in the Malmesbury box, it took until the 89th minute for Slimbridge to put the game to bed. 

Joe Hunt's Free Kick saw a towering Toby Soule header notch the Swans third, and book a trip to Wallingford and Crowmarsh in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup, a tie which will take place on August 17th. 

Supporters Cub Man of the Match Charlie Hitchings spoke after the game about the magic of the world's oldest Cup competition - 'I think for us older boys, playing in the FA Cup is special – your time is limited and you want to get a cup run in your career. It’s one thing I’m desperate to have.

I thought it was a good game to be honest – it was competitive, I thought we dictated quite a lot of the play, especially on the wings, I thought Shiyak and Jack Smith were superb today, along with Theo. 

 

Hawesy did a really good job holding the ball up, we ask quite a lot of him when he plays up there on his own, but I thought he was superb today as well. 

 

Overall, it was good game, obviously they nicked one, and it was a bit nervy towards the end, but we were delighted to get the third one and finish the job off. 

 

I feel really confident playing with Nath alongside me, at 2-1 it can be quite a nervy scoreline, but to get the third one to finish it off was great.'

Slimbridge will be taking a coach to the Wallingford game, and details of how to book your place will be announced in due course. 

On Tuesday, Slimbridge make the short trip up the A38 to Tuffley Rovers for another League game (6th August 7.45pm). 

Tuffley have not made the best start to the season, but Tom Deakin has no doubts about the task facing his side - ' It’s a local derby, everything else goes out the window, every cliché in the book you want to throw at it. It’s at the start of the season, which is good, and the momentum is with us at the moment, so we’ve got to look at each game as it comes.'

Team: Phillips, Turner, Rodgers (Evans 63), Soule, Dennis, Hitchings, Clayson, Blackie (Hunt 45), Hawes (mills 83), Smith (Harper 55), Sutherland (Dark 90+1)

Supporters Club Man of the Match: Charlie Hitchings