They came Frome, and were conquered.
Swindon Spitfires moved up to fourth in the South West Women’s League Premier Division with a fine 4-1 win over Frome Town.
Spitfires set about their opponents from the off, and were rewarded in the 11th minute when Debbie Rose headed home a Sammie Smith corner. 
They kept the tempo high and pressed Frome at every opportunity as the visitors struggled to pose any threat of their own, and it was the least they deserved when Spitfires doubled the lead on 25 minutes. Smith played the ball out from the back to Emma Skinner, who in turn slotted the ball through for Hayley Huckin to have a clear 30 yard run at goal. And although keeper Hannah 
Christer saved the initial shot Huckin took the rebound wide of her before slotting home.
Three minutes later Huckin chased down a long drop-kick from keeper Tamsin Kellett, forcing the Frome defence to concede possession, but Skinner could only fire the chance wide.
Spitfires had made a few changes to their line-up from their last outing, with Rose dropping in at left back and Jess Dent switching across to the right. The change worked really well, with Dent a revelation in her link up play and overlapping runs, and it was from her cross on 35 minutes that Skinner headed just wide.
Frome tried hard to get back into the game after the break but found Cara Stacey and Laura Stallard a difficult barrier to breach in the middle of the park, and behind them centre-backs Smith and Emily Sparkes were in no mood to allow Frome any clear shots.
Spitfires always looked a threat going forward with wingers Kayleigh Reeves and Mel Bristow always capable of getting in behind the Frome defence. And it was from a Huckin through ball that set Bristow away in the 63rd minute, and she kept her composure to slot past Christer for her first goal since mid-September.
Frome finally got some reward for their efforts when Rose exerted a little too much pressure on one of their players in the box, and Becky Yeo made no mistake from the spot to make it 3-1 on 73 minutes.
Any hope of a comeback disappeared for Frome within a minute when Huckin was allowed a free header at the far post to despatch another dangerous Smith corner for 4-1. And it could have been more for Spitfires, Skinner hitting the crossbar in the 88th minute with Christer well beaten, but they were content to get the result they deserved unlike last week.
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Other Spitfire news
Spitfires U17s were unlucky not to come away from Oxford Bluebirds with at least a point even though they were a player down for the entire game. Despite the numerical disadvantage it was the visitors who dominated the opening exchanges, and they deservedly took the lead in the 21st minute when the keeper spilt a Mya McKnight shot straight to Sarah Uzzell who slotted home.
Spitfires hard work was undone 9 minutes later as Georgina Tayman was allowed to turn and shoot, but the lead was restored in the 37th minute when McKnight got on the end of an Uzzell cross. Uzzell then hit the upright four minutes later, whilst at the other end Becky Kench pulled off a great double-save a minute from the break to seemingly keep the lead intact. However right on halftime Bluebirds drew level through Kiera Isaac.
Buoyed by the equaliser the home side upped the pace in the second half and Ollie Brown gave them the lead for the first time in the 52nd minute with a tap-in at the far post after Spitfires failed to clear the cross.
Spitfires were then denied an equaliser in the 64th minute when Hayley Shipp’s corner was clawed back from behind the line by the home keeper with the referee choosing to ignore Bluebirds’ club assistant referee who very honestly indicated it had indeed crossed the line.
And four minutes later the home side wrapped the game up with a far post finish by Heidi Miles from a corner kick.
With the half-term holiday impacting on fixtures Spitfires’ U12s Development team were the only other of the junior sides to see action when they travelled to Bath City.
Having shipped double figures in the first meeting Spitfires showed what strides they have made as they eventually lost a close encounter 3-2 with the winner coming in the final minute. Emily Purvis bagged both of Spitfires’ goals.
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