HANLEY Swan kept up their Cheltenham League Division Three title bid with a 2-1 win at Cheltenham Saracens thirds.
They returned to winning ways despite conceding a 10th-minute opener while playing up the slope into the sun in the first period.
A low shot beat stand-in keeper Tristan Tyler but Hanley thought they had equalised five minutes later only for James Beale’s effort to be ruled out for offside.
Hanley eventually got their deserved leveller on the stroke of half-time as a cross from Jon Palmer found Mark Smith at the back post and he made no mistake.
Hanley put Saracens under pressure from the restart but missed a number of great chances to go ahead.
With Adam Dovey and James Rimell, who both missed the previous week’s game, restored to central defence, Hanley comfortably dealt with any Saracens threat.
The visitors kept pressing forward and their patience paid off when an Ollie Lewis cross found Dan Briscoe, who headed it back for Smith to score the winner.
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