Swindon 2 - Minehead 1

Swindon A stopped the rot and came away with 3 hard earned points against a tough, combatant Somerset team.

It was stinking hot day down at the 'Theatre of Dreams' that is Abbey Park School with a sense of anticipation fizzling around the capacity crowd. Both teams were only sporting one sub each and with the pitch being slow and sticky; the winner could possibly be decided by fitness under the hot sun.

Swindon A welcomed 1's regular 'Agent Wicko', hoping to use the ringer to gain an advantage over a well drilled and competent Minehead team. The game started evenly, both teams struggling to gain advantage over the other, both making attacks that were defended well. Swindon had the first chance of the game, winning a penalty corner. The stop was poor, Wicko improvised slap was defended well.

With the slow pitch both sides were struggling to move the ball with the liquidity their games suits. Aiden seized upon a pass lacking pace, beating the Minehead man to the ball. He then drove at the Minehead defence, eating up the yards and drawing in defenders before releasing to Wicko. Wicko took the ball into the D, beating a man before calmly slotting it passed the keeper. The crowd went wild the Swindon team celebrated with fist pumps and high fives all round. Swindon A 1 - Minehead 0

Swindon were positively buoyed by the goal, stepping up the pace and pressing the Minehead team well. Swindon pushed for another, but never managed to cause too much danger for the Minehead defence. Minehead, now used to the pitch, started to move the ball around freely causing the Swindon press to start losing its rigidity. In one such attack Swindon were left chasing shadows, a Minehead player having a free shot and scoring. Swindon A 1 - Minehead 1.

The half ended with no further incident. At half time Swindon vowed to stick to the basics and make possession count. The second half began, the game now on a knife edge, the temperature at boiling point and the crowd on the edge of their imaginary seats.

Swindon started well, keeping the ball, moving it around freely and not panicking when caught in a tight spot. Mike Smith, playing CB for the day, became the puppet master, popping up in unconventional places and pulling the strings at will. Swindon now dominated possession cutting out the mistakes that plagued the first half.

At a 16, Mike acting as QB distributed to Matt, receiving the ball in his own half with his back to goal. Faking one way and then the other, Matt bypassed his markers, suddenly finding himself in acres of space with just one Minehead defender ahead of him, and the clinical Wicko beyond him. Matthew Wilcox drove with the little pace he possess, forcing the defender to engage, the moment he committed Matt offloaded to Wicko. Wicko drove into the Minehead D, weaving one way and then the other before picking his spot. The crowd, now nearly reaching never seen levels of ecstasy, went wild. Wicko did well not to receive a card for celebrating in front of the away fans, sending them apoplectic. Swindon A 2 - Minehead 1.

Swindon pushed further, wanting a third to put the game to bed. Tom Sewell had the best of the chances hitting the ball well, but finding the keeper with each stroke. Edward Dunmore was unlucky not to notch, a ball across the box finding the striker wrong footed, hitting the youngsters foot in the process as he tried to untangle his arms and legs.

Minehead had several short corners, the pitch acting as Swindon's best defence with most injections not making it out of the D. Minehead pushed hard to find the equaliser but fortress Swindon stood firm (and with quite a bit of luck at times). The final whistle blew, and Swindon had done it, 3 more points on the road to safety and a long trip home for the seasiders.