Marine 0 Swindon Town 4

Youngster Botman Ameen scored an early double to sink Marine

Botan Ameen struck twice in the first half, the first a somewhat fortunate near-post finish and then tapped into an empty net. Harry Smith apologetically tapped in the third, and then Tabor lifted a delightful lob over the goalkeeper. Town set about the game with swift, but not always accurate passing, as they hoped to move the hosts around.

Frankie Monk challenges for the ball
Photo’s from Alex White photography

After eight minutes, Town’s Gavin Kilkenny flicked one over the head of a defender and drove a pass into the centre. A defender got there first, but Aaron Drinan picked his pocket and slammed a shot into the chest of George Clegg the Marine goalkeeper.

The early lead arrived as Danny Butterworth and Tom Nichols combined on the edge to slip BOTMAN AMEEN down the side of the box. He fired low at the near post, and Legg allowed the ball to go through his legs. Drinan could have made it two seconds later as he won the ball high on the left, drove at goal from the angle, and curled one just wide of the far post.

Marine David Regula then had the ball in the back of Town’s net after a quick counter attack in the 21st minute, but he had strayed beyond Tunmise Sobowale and was flagged offside by the assistant referee. After a ten-minute lull, BOTMAN AMEEN struck again. A long ball over the top saw Drinan keep it in on the by-line and clip a ball over the defenders for the run of the Iraq youth international, who completed the simplest of tasks to score the Town’s second goal.

Sam Turl and Dawid Regula challenge for the ball
Photo’s from Alex White photography

Marine Sal Abubakar could have pulled one back after great work on the edge of the box. He smacked the post from 18-yards out, before the ball struck Connor Ripley’s back and rolled wide for a corner. Billy Kirkman’s corner then almost put one on a plate for Ryan Delaney and Harrison Minturn, although neither took him up on the opportunity.

A full team change at the break led to some very lively moments for Jake Tabor. He had a header cleared off the line before very nearly setting up Paul Glatzel. The Robins extended their advantage as a comedy of errors in the six-yard from the Marine defence box saw the ball come in for HARRY SMITH for a simple tap-in from a yard out.

James Harding on his return to Marine
Photo’s from Alex White photography

After a couple of near misses, Town debutant JAKE TABOR then had his goal. He was second favourite for a ball over the top, but got ahead of his man and lifted it over the Marine keeper Nick Harvey, who came on at the break, and into the back of the net. The former Amersham Town man could even have had more, as Joe Snowden’s cross just about eluded him, and then a magnificent save denied him as time ticked away.

Marine starting XI: 1-George Legg (GK), 2-Sam Turl, 3-Piotr Petrynski, 4-Olly Case, 5-James Edge, 6- Tawana Changa, 7-Sal Abubakar, 8-Max Hemmings, 9-Dawid Regula, 10-James Harding, 11-Frankie Monk.
Marine substitutes: 13-Nick Harvey (GK), 1-Dan Brabhan (GK), 12-Josh Grant, 14-Josh Blyth, 15-Tahir Carmichael, 16-Eden Downes, 17-Jonny Efedje, 18-Cheldon Valere, 19-Dan Warre.

Swindon Town squad: 1-Connor Ripley (GK), 2-Tunmise Sobowale, 3-Filozofe Mabete, 4-Ryan Delaney, 5-Will Wright, 6-James Ball, 7-Tom Nichols, 8-Ollie Clarke, 9-Paul Glatzel, 10-Harry Smith, 11-Jake Tabor, 12-Lewis Ward (GK), 14-Danny Butterworth, 17-Botman Ameen, 14-Gavin Kilkenny, 19-Joe Snowden, 44-Danny Oldaker, 23-Aaron Drinan, 31-Harrison Minturn, 34-Billy Kirkman, 35-Jaxon Brown, 37- Dani Gonzalez, 39-Dyan Mitchell, 40-George Alston, 41-Owen Foye.

The match officials Ollie Tasker, Simon Hooper and Freddie Fraser
Photo’s from Alex White photography
Attendance: 1,906