Slimbridge FC bag five as non-league gears up in pre-season
15.07.2021
Football came back with a bang for the Slimbridge Swans as the club beat Fairford Town 5-0 in a pre-season friendly. Like many grassroots clubs, Slimbridge had their Southern Football League Division One South season curtailed last year due to pandemic restrictions. Following the vaccine rollout, the club got back on the pitch with flying colours ahead of their 21/22 campaign.
While Fairford Town hail from a rung down the football pyramid, in step 9’s Hellenic League, the club brought a competitive squad and the home-field advantage to their pre-season clash. The game, in Fairfield’s Cinder Lane ground, saw Slimbridge’s star frontman Will Hawes grab a brace of goals. After Hawes’s teammates Ben Mclean, Ethan Dunbar, and Jack Holmes all bagged goals, the Slimbridge Swans had an encouraging pre-season victory under their belts.
The win follows another preseason success from Slimbridge’s under-18 squad, who beat Stroud United 3-0 the day before. While Slimbridge’s reserves did lose 4-1 to Hardwicke, the team’s two successes show promising signs for the campaign ahead.
The Swans’ 5-0 romp showcased the best of non-league football. Exciting, fast-flowing sport, brave tackles, and passionate cheers at the misses, almost as loud as the goals. Slimbridge finished fourth in their null and voided season last year, and will hope their friendly success leads them to reach higher, aiming for promotion form with the Southern Premier in their sights.
