SWINDON Spitfires moved two points clear at the top of the South West Women’s League Premier Division following their 2-0 win over Downend Flyers.

After a fairly even opening half hour, the only chances of note were Downend’s Hayley Bullock testing keeper Julia Caton with a long-range shot and Spitfires’ Suze Berry glancing a Katie Wadey cross wide.

Spitfires started to dominate and on 31 minutes, an Emma Skinner free-kick fell kindly to Jenny Jones, who brushed the side-netting with her shot.

Four minutes later, Berry was set free by Skinner’s through-ball but keeper Zoe Hodgson was quickly out to smother it.

Karyn Coombs then fired just over two minutes before the interval from a Morgan Whitaker knock-down and then Berry was denied.

Spitfires continued to press their opponents in the second period, with the majority of the play in the Downend half.

On 50 minutes, Hodgson was again quick to deny Coombs after a Debbie Rose chipped pass cleared the Downend defence, with Coombs going close a minute later from a Wadey cross.

Rose tried her luck with a long-range effort on 55 minutes before the visitors’ defence was finally breached a minute later. Whitaker met a Hodgson goal kick and directed her powerful header to Berry, who tricked her way past the keeper before rolling the ball home.

Spitfires doubled their advantage in the 58th minute when the unlucky Coombs saw her chip-shot come back off the bar with Hodgson beaten, but the alert Wadey quickly latched on to the loose ball and slotted home through the goalie’s legs.

Another chance fell to Wadey two minutes later but her shot was parried and Hodgson did well to save the rebound on her line at the feet of Berry.

Spitfires’ defence never looked in danger, with very little getting past the central defensive pairing of Jenny Gray and Emily Sparkes, while right back Beth Turner was always a threat pushing forward. Behind them, Caton had little to do - a comfortable save from a Downend free-kick on 70 minutes being the closest the visitors came.

Spitfires were denied a penalty when Coombs was clattered in the area in the 83rd minute and then Anna Higgins fired just wide from a Skinner cross.

The final chance came in the last minute when a high cross from Higgins found Hannah Gulliver at the far post but Hodgson denied her with a fantastic point-blank save.

The two teams face each other again next week, this time in the first qualifying round of the FA Women’s Cup, with a 2pm kick off at Highworth Town FC.

United are pegged back by league leaders Melksham

Swindon Spitfires United were held to a 2-2 draw by league leaders Melksham Town Black in the Wiltshire Womens and Girls League Open Age division.

The visitors pushed forward from the start and took the lead in the opening two minutes.

But United hit back and gained control.

Zofie Stepien came close to levelling matters in the 16th minute as Claire Morton’s corner fell nicely, only for Stepien’s header to rebound off the crossbar.

Diane George followed up, only for the ‘keeper to tip the header over.

United continued to push for an equaliser before the break but could not find a way through.

But Spitfires were rewarded early in the second half as Morton's powerful shot was parried into the path of Mel Bristow, who scored from close range.

United were now in complete control and took the lead on 55 minutes as Sandra Higgins-Hughes’ ball over the Melksham defence allowed Bristow to place the ball past the stranded ‘keeper.

But with 10 minutes left on the clock, the table-toppers won a penalty, which was duly converted.

Swindon Town Development went down 2-1 to Chippenham.

Town’s young side battled hard throughout the game against the more experienced side.

Hannah Attwell scored Swindon’s only goal of the match with a a magnificent free-kick.