STOURPORT Swifts bounced back from last weekend's FA Cup defeat and a midweek league rev-ersal at Bilston to beat basement boys Swindon Supermarine 3-1 in the Dr Martens Western Division.

But they made hard work of it, allowing the visitors back into the match at the start of the second half.

Manager Rod Brown admitted the game had been no walkover but was delighted with the way his side performed.

He said: "It is important to see how the players react when they have lost a couple of games.

"Swindon proved to be not a bad side, no-one has turned them over by a huge margin.

"Although we went 2-0 up we never came out the traps at the start of the second half. We looked jaded and we really needed that third goal."

It was fitting that the goal that calmed Stourport nerves on 63 minutes was a gem of a strike from man-of -the-match Alex Cowley.

The former Albion trainee cut inside before unleashing a ferocious drive that gave the Swindon keeper no chance.

Swifts looked to be cruising to an easy victory when Matt Southwick opened the scoring on 15 minutes, Lee Booth helping on a Simon Marsh cross.

Top scorer Booth then made it 2-0 on 28 minutes, combining with Marsh after latching onto a huge kick from goalkeeper Rob Clarke.

But the visitors refused to accept defeat and, three minutes before the break, striker Dave Toomey forced Clarke into a fine full-length save to palm away his diving header.

Steve Bennett reduced the arrears on 51 minutes, heading in a Tom Jones cross before Toomey found Michael Silvanus in the centre moments later but the striker fired over from in front of goal.

It needed Cowley's goal to wrap up the victory and his strike ended any hopes of a Swindon revival.

Swifts: Clarke 7, Davies 7, Charlton 7 (Ulfig 66, 6), Townsend 7, Mulders 7, Shaw 5, Cowley 8, Nicholls 6 (Hackett 65, 6), Marsh 6, Booth 6, Southwick 7. Sub (not used): Dearlove.