SWINDON skipper Mike Thompson praised his side’s attitude on the pitch after recording their third successive win in South West One East at home to Witney on Saturday.

A fortuitous missed penalty in the closing minutes of the game for Witney swung the match in favour of the hosts, who consequently moved within five points of 10th-placed Wimborne.

The 34-29 win continues Swindon’s impressive run of form, which includes triumphs against Salisbury and Royal Wootton Bassett.

Despite picking up the points, Thompson did warn his side of complacency after almost throwing away a healthy lead early on.

He said: “After taking the lead we shut off for a bit and allowed them back into the game.

“Witney are a good team and you can’t afford to stop playing to your ability against them.

“They fortunately missed a penalty in front of the posts while we scored at the other end. It’s a brilliant result for the team.

“We’ve earned three good wins on the spin now against top opposition. We’re starting to build momentum and our spirits and confidence is on the rise. The team now knows what they’re capable of.”

Thompson was particularly pleased to see his men find a way to deal with Witney’s dogged defence.

“Witney have always been a well-structured side,” he added. “They’ve got good players and always present a threat. In particular their defence and tackling is something we had to deal with.

“Consistency in the team has been our key to success in my opinion. We’ve had to make a couple of changes due to injuries but our team has been consistent. And players are pushing each other for positions. It’s good competition.”

Next up for Swindon is a March 3 visit to new league members Stratford, who lost 22-12 when they visited Wiltshire in November.

Thompson said: “Stratford aren’t on a great run. When we played them earlier in the season we had a different team to what we have now.

“Our target is to come away with some points, I don’t have any reason why that can’t be our main goal.”

In Southern Counties South, Swindon College Old Boys lost out 29-15 at Walcot, but Supermarine were 33-31 winners over Warminster in Dorset & Wilts One North.