WITH 17 places and 18 points separating the two sides, Frome were always going to have their work cut out to bring anything away from title favourites Leamington.

And despite a spirited performance, Leamington grabbed two early goals and showed their class by closing the match down and running out comfortable winners.

A bright start by Frome saw them looking composed and knocking the ball around well on an excellent surface and a couple of attacks looked promising.

But the 11th minute saw the first attack from the home side lead to a goal as Richard Batchelor set himself for an overhead kick from a corner and celebrated wildly as his perfect shot flew into the top corner giving Darren Chitty no chance in the visitors' goal.

The lead was doubled five minutes later as a second corner from Lee Moore was headed home powerfully by Liam Daley.

Play swung from end to end but both sets of forwards seemed to have lost their bearings on goal, as a header from Batchelor cleared the Frome bar, Mike Perrott volleyed well wide for Frome at the other end and then Steffan Moore blazed over the Frome bar with just Chitty to beat.

The 34th minute saw Josh Brigham replace Mike Reaney and a headed chance fell to him in the 43rd minute, but the ball flew well wide.

Then on the stroke of half time a Darren Jefferies corner allowed Dean Evans a shot on target that was blocked.

The second half saw more of the same, with the visitors never giving up the game and always looking to reduce the arrears, but Leamington showed why they are title favourites, looking unlikely to concede a goal, and dealing comfortably with everything Frome could throw at them.

The 65th minute saw Leamington’s Stephan Morley get forward and crash a shot against the Frome bar, but the match then finished quietly with Leamington comfortable winners on the day.

The “H&B Tyres Man of the Match” award was awarded to Ryan Bennet  for a good performance at the centre of defence.

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