HEYBRIDGE Swifts terrier Jack Adlington-Pile stooped to conquer Ipswich Wanderers in a 2-0 victory that lifted his side back into the Isthmian North Division play-off places, writes JON LONGMAN.

Swifts celebrated the New Year in style with three more points to boost their tally to seven points from a possible nine in the festive fixtures.

The Swifts received an apology from the referee who admitted that he should have awarded a penalty to the Swifts in the 0-0 at Gorleston last Saturday.

However, the official also confirmed to club secretary Steve Crisp that he will be reporting Gorleston to the Isthmian League for the poor floodlights that made it almost impossible for the spectators to see the action at Great Yarmouth’s ground.

Add the bragging rights from the 3-1 Boxing Day win at Maldon and Tiptree and it was a near perfect run of festive results for manager Steve Tilson.

His team are now unbeaten in six games and they hope to make that a magnificent seven at home to Enfield on Saturday (3pm) before a testing run of four away games in the next five, starting with a re-arranged game at Wroxham next Tuesday.

Swifts completed the double over Ipswich Wanderers, having won 2-1 away back in August, with two excellent goals.

After a goalless first half in which the Swifts failed to convert any of the nine crosses delivered in the main by Rob Harvey, they went ahead in the 52nd minute when Adlington-Pile slipped his marker to dip his head to meet Harvey’s centre at the far post.

Wanderers keeper Danny Cullum then performed a series of acrobatics to prevent the Swifts increasing their advantage with leading scorer Sam Park unlucky not to add to his tally of six successful strikes.

However, Cullum was beaten in the final minute when two Swifts substitutes, Sam Bantick and Alfie Gladwin, combined to confirm Swifts' 2-0 triumph.

Bantick, who had replaced Adlington-Pile, bore down on the Wanderers defence and beat the offside trap to slip a pass into the path of Gladwin.

Gladwin, who had only been on the field for two minutes, timed his run to perfection and his first touch to cross for Kieran Jones to smash the ball into the roof of the net for his sixth goal of the season.

Swifts deserved to win as they had patiently dealt with a Wanderers side determined to thwart their rivals with a defensive display that left Swifts keeper Thomas Wray with no saves to make all afternoon.