SWINDON skipper Paul Paginton is convinced his side would not be flirting with relegation if they had performed as they did during Saturday’s defeat at Cheltenham earlier in the season.

The County Ground side currently occupy one of the bottom two places in the Glos/Wilts Division, but gave league-leaders Cheltenham a run for their money before eventually losing by 28 runs.

Paginton was pleased with how his side performed, but was left to rue the fact they had not reached the same level against beatable opposition.

“Nobody would have expected us to have got anything from Cheltenham because they have done so well this season, but it was a good performance,” he said.

“It is a bit frustrating though, because performances like that would have won a fair few games earlier in the season, and we might not be where we are now.

“But that is something we will never know the answer to now, and we need to win our last two matches to give ourselves a chance of staying up.”

Marc and Dean Williamson and John Baden each scored half centuries for Swindon, and Paginton was keen to take plenty of positives from the match.

“It was a really good effort from everyone, and there are definitely some positives to take for sure,” he said.

“We were always behind the rate and it was going to be a struggle, but we have to be positive because we scored 240-odd runs against the best team in the league.

“We batted well, and we were decent in the field and with our bowling, and that could help us I am sure.”

In Premier Two, Goatacre are closing in on promotion after an easy victory over league-leaders Aschott & Shapwick.

The home side were bowled out for 148, which the visitors knocked off with ease thanks to 40 from Nick Pocock and 51 from Brad Dawson.

Goatacre were without County Cricket players Liam Dawson and Will Gidman for the game, but still cruised to victory much to the delight of captain Craig Gibbens.

“It was a superb all-round Goatacre performance. Kevin Iles was injured and we were without Liam Dawson or Will Gidman but Goatacre still beat the top of the league side,” he said.

“Not Goatacre with one or two stars, just Goatacre, and that’s just fantastic.

“We got there and it was a bit wet and there wasn’t much time to warm up and the boys obviously didn’t really want to get going but we got everyone together and the reaction we got was great.

“We’ve got off to a great start and got them 21-4 and we bowled really well and then Nick Pocock and Ed (Kilbee) got us off to a good start as well.

“The partnership between Brad (Dawson) and Nick was, in the context of the game and the situation, probably our best partnership of the season. They knew what their jobs were and they stuck it out. We’re in a great position now and we’ve got it in our own hands.”