Holt hat trick puts Swifts back on top

Tony Holt scored his second treble of the season as Swifts moved back to top of East Region Premier League with a hard fought 3 points at the normally wet & windy Broomfield Park.

Swifts headed to the Angus coast without Lewis Baker due to a broken nose & Ross Gunnion made 2 changes to the team which had defeated Tranent in our last outing. In came Keith Dewar & Daniel Kelly with Fraser Smith & Scott Mollison dropping down to the bench.

It was Swifts who opened the scoring in the 7th minute when Chris McLeish was fouled in the corner of the box & the referee pointed to the spot. Holt stepped up and stroked the ball into the net past the despairing McLeod. Just before half time Jeanie doubled their lead & it was that man Holt again who scored. Dewar was fouled centrally 20 yards out. Holt stepped up & fired the ball into the net off the underside of the bar. Everything he is touching just now turns to goals!!!

The home side got back into the game in 57 from the penalty spot. A corner was floated into the Swifts box and headed down. Lee Deans looked set to clear until he was bundled into & both players fell to the ground. Surprisingly a penalty was awarded & despatched into Mark Mitchells net via the post. This upset Jeanfield won restored their 2 goal lead only minutes later.

Kevyn Fowler played a free kick on to the head of Holt who knocked on to the onrushing McLeish. The keeper got to the ball first but it broke loose & as Beako went to go for the loose ball he tripped over the keepers leg & this time Swifts were awarded a soft penalty. As with the previous effort Holt stroked the ball into the net for goal number 18 of the season. That is him now averaging a goal a game. Fantastic effort from the very talented midfielder who has spent a lot of the last 2 seasons out injured.

In 70 minutes Swifts made it 4. Fowler received the ball nearly 35 yards out and drove forward & unleashed an unstoppable effort which flew into the top corner of the net!!! Not quite but that is how Kev would like it too be. His strike was going into the keepers hands when it was deflected and wrong footed the hapless keeper & trickled into the net.

The home side pulled a goal back in 87 minutes when Mowatt chased a long ball over the top to lob Mitchell and stop the scoring for the day.

A good win for Swifts at what is a tough away trip.