Mangotsfield United 3 Slimbridge 3

SLIMBRIDGE returned from Mangotsfield United with a point in an entertaining encounter that could so easily have been three, writes Rob Peck.

Callum Jones made his debut for the Swans on loan from Newport County replacing the absent Christien Turner in defence.

It was Mangotsfield who made the early running, Robbie Cox forcing a save from Lewis Adams from a 20-yard shot after 7 minutes. A minute later, Rhys Sarson attempted a lob on home keeper Marko Radovanovic, but his effort was plucked out of the air.

On 10 minutes, Daniel Demkiv pushed the ball past Adams to the left of the goal inside the Slimbridge box. Adams clattered into Demkiv to concede a penalty, although Adams guessed correctly and made the save he could not hold onto the ball, leaving Demkiv to fire the rebound into the net to give Mangotsfield the lead.

A couple of minutes later the Swans were almost two down, Jordan Rogers firing across goal from a narrow angle on the left striking the far post with Adams beaten.

A couple of half chances fell to either side on the half-hour mark, Slimbridge’s Sol Wanjau-Smith hitting a week shot before Rogers hit an 18-yard effort wide. Rogers then headed over from a corner as the Swans did well to keep themselves in the game.

The Swans came back into the game as half-time approached and duly capitalised when Sarson, with his back towards goal was tripped from behind inside the box and the referee awarding a penalty. Wanjau-Smith stepped up to slot the ball down the middle to score his third penalty in two games.

With a minute to go before half-time Slimbridge took the lead, James Spruce threaded a delightful through ball to Myron Turner for him to tuck under the advancing Radovanovic and into the net.

On 54 minutes Wanjau-Smith chased a long ball forward but he could only find the side netting with his first time shot. A minute later Adams produced a fantastic save to tip Demviv’s shot onto the cross bar but from the resulting corner Rogers headed home to bring the scores level.

The game didn’t stay level for long, Wanjau-Smith went down for a push in the back on the left wing. He stepped up and hit a floating cros sailed into the net just inside the far post to restore the Swans lead.

Five minutes later, Spruce got through the home defence only for Toby Rennie to produce a great tackle inside the box to rob the visiting winger from taking a shot

Adam Price made an important block inside the box with 8 minutes left of normal time. However, a minute later Demkiv got his head to a long free-kick which was diverted past a static Adams to give the home side a point.

Slimbridge: Adams, Nesbeth, Peck, Ford, White, Jones, Spruce (Horrell 82), Price (Chambers 83), Sarson, M Turner, Wanjau-Smith.
Unused subs: Martin, Tuodolo.
Attendance: 151.
Supporters’ man-of-the-match: Rhys Sarson.
Swans entertain Barnstaple Town at Thornhill Park on Saturday, 3pm.