Brad Hooper bags late to give Swindon Supermarine a glimmer of hope for the play-offs

Swindon Supermarine had their final road trip of the season with the short trip down the M4 to Yate Town.

Manager Lee Spalding made two changes to the side that won at North Leigh bringing back Will Tunnicliff at left back allowing Ryan Campbell to push forward and James Harding up top with George Dowling (thigh strain) and Henry Spalding dropping out. 

After an impeccable minute’s silence was observed for Richard Jordan it was the hosts who started the better with Kyle Tooze hitting a strike just over the bar on the turn. But Marine were quick to respond with top scorer Harry Williams linking up well with Zack Kotwica before striking the post with Louis Evans beaten.

Evans was finding it tough in the Yate goal but doing enough to repel Marine when he flicked away a Campbell cross on 16. Matt Liddiard was booked soon after for a foul on Ben McLean but it was Marine who finally broke the deadlock.

With 20 minutes on the clock Williams set away Harding whose flick found Campbell in space on the left and he made no mistake drilling the ball into the far corner, incredibly for his first league goal of the season.

Williams was tormenting the Yate backline and appeared to be felled in the box just before the half hour but the appeal was waved away. Campbell came close to making it a goal and an assist when his driven cross was somehow just missed by Harding against his former team. Williams got a shot away soon after and despite hitting it over seemed to be clipped again after but once more there was nothing doing.

Swindon saw out the half and despite never being in control of the midfield would be happy with their lead against opposition fighting for the lives.

The Bluebells were celebrating early doors in the second half when they netted at the back post but were brought back down to earth by the linesman flag who rightfully disallowed it for offside. Kotwica hit a strong volley just wide to open Marine’s attacks for the half before Spalding opted for his first change of the day with Brad Hooper coming on to bolster the midfield and Tunnicliff in his first start for a month going off with Campbell dropping back once more.

Williams was sharp again but Evans got down well to turn away the low shot in front of the healthy 333 crowd before Marine made a second sub with half an hour left. Tom Sharpe replacing James Harding as Swindon looked to dominate the midfield battle.

It seemed to work well with Sharpe and Hooper allowing Swindon to gain more possession and control but despite this against the run of play Yate found a leveller on 70 minutes.

Turl was booked for a foul and from the resulting free kick the ball was headed back across goal for Tooze to head home past Charlie Searle from close in.

Despite the setback Swindon responded strongly with Sharpe driving a chance just wide followed by an extraordinary attack on 77.  From a long throw Ty Duffus headed against the bar before Mat Liddiards follow up was blocked on the line and then appeared to clearly strike the arm of a Yate defender. However in a crowd of players the referee opted not to give the spot kick and a few minutes later there were more appeals in the box, this time for Yate.

Duffus leapt high to block and Yate appealed for a handball with the referee once again waving away the appeals saying it struck the defender on the shoulder. 

With time running out both sides were going for the winner. Searle pulled off a top stop with minutes left before being bundled over the line and a free kick awarded. And then just as it seemed deadlock in the match up stepped Mr Supermarine.

A few games ago Brad Hooper had been the hero stepping up to take the gloves in a keeping crisis and now he stepped forward again to grab the three points. With a long throw causing chaos from Turl the ball eventually was cleared after a Liddiard effort to the edge of the box where Hooper struck a beauty of a half volley right into the corner to give Evans no hope.

Scenes erupted behind the goal as Marine had somehow kept the slimmest of chances of the play offs alive with Hooper’s fourth of the season.

Despite a lengthy added time period Swindon held on to fight another day. The playoffs look improbably and are now dependent on two Poole defeats and a 13 goal swing. However Swindon take on Poole this Wednesday at home and every goal will be worth two in this race.