HOCKEY: Swindon end winless home run (From This Is Wiltshire)

A SIX-WEEK break appeared to do Swindon the world of good as they notched up their first home victory of the season.

Swindon defeated Premier Division 2A basement-battlers Bournemouth 2nds 2-0, a result that saw them leapfrog Lansdown into seventh in the table.

Beginning strongly, the Wiltshire side took the lead when the returning Adriana Boullosa crossed for Vicki Stokes to fire home.

Stokes played a key role in the second goal, when her cross was knocked into the net by a visiting defender.

Both teams struggled to find any momentum in the second half, but there were excellent individual performances for Swindon.

Debutant Chloe Lewis was a constant threat while Rachel King and Charlie George both made clever runs and won their personal battles.

Nicki Foster made a number of crucial tackles and interceptions in defence and was voted player of the match.

Meanwhile, despite only having 10 fit players, North Wilts showed tremendous resilience to triumph 4-2 at West Wilts 2nds in Wessex Division 1.

In wet conditions, goalkeeper Hannah Sherratt and defenders Pixie Bickell, Hazel Leedham and Elspeth Emmerson hustled superbly throughout as they made no fewer than six goalline clearances.

North took a shock lead when a penalty corner from Leanne Sear was followed by a smart one-two between Cam Fisher and Dani Hopping, with Fisher slotting into the net.

Straight from the restart, West equalised and further pressure resulted in the hosts going in front 10 minutes before the break.

However, North fought back in style and a slick move from the back saw matters levelled.

Leedham, Fisher, Sear and Martha Franks were all involved before Hopping linked with Maddie Wojtowicz and the latter found Sear, who cracked a shot into the bottom corner.

Three minutes before the interval, North regained the lead when another counter-attack ended with Sear netting her second.

That was how the score stayed until four minutes from the end of the second half, when a North penalty flick made sure of all three points.

In North Division, Wootton Bassett suffered their sixth defeat of the season as they were sunk 1-0 at Bretforton.

Elsewhere, Swindon 2nds romped to a 4-0 win at Devizes 2nds in Wessex Division 2.

Kim Taylor (2), Sue Roberts and Heather Knight were on the scoresheet while player of the match was shared by Michelle Harding and Kim Taylor.

North Wilts 2nds claimed a 2-1 win over Wick 2nds in Berkeley Division 3.

Wick took the lead but Georgie Foster replied with a superb goal to make it 1-1 at half-time. In the second period, a Robyn Matthews strike saw North Wilts take a well-deserved victory.