STOURPORT Swifts warmed up for Saturday's FA Cup clash with Solihull Borough in the worst possible way - slumping to a 3-0 defeat at Halesowen Town in the Dr Martens Western Division.

With eight first team players missing, it was always going to be tough for Swifts to stretch their unbeaten run to seven matches on Tuesday.

But it needed two late goals to finally snuff out Swifts who had chances to tarnish Halesowen's glistening 100 per cent home record.

Sloppy defending gifted the home side a second minute lead.

Matty Hall's right wing cross found Stourport old boy Kerry Giddings who laid the ball off to the unmarked Andy Jones to shoot into an empty net.

Poor finishing stopped Halesowen from extending their lead before half-time.

Jones headed another effort over before having a shot saved by Swifts keeper Rob Clarke, while Giddings twice fired wide when well-placed.

Swifts, forced to name reserve keeper Adrian Hipkins among the substitutes, twice had chances to level at the start of the second half.

With 55 minutes gone, Adrian Cooper found Lee Booth unmarked in the box but the striker put his effort into the side-netting.

Cooper then went close himself seven minutes later when his deflected 25-yard shot was well-saved by Town keeper Tim Clarke.

Solid defending from Swifts' back-three of Jan Mulders, Asa Charlton and Paul Mountford had kept the home side at bay for much of the second period.

But that changed in the closing stages when a Giddings shot was deflected past R Clarke to give the home side a 2-0 lead on 83 minutes.

When Jones netted his second with a lob four minutes later, the points were in the bag for Halesowen.

The defeat meant Swifts slipped from eighth to 10th in the table.

Swifts: Clarke 6, Mountford 6, Charlton 7, Southwick 6 (Nicholls 75), Mulders 8, Shaw 6, Cowley 5, Nicholls 6, Harvey 5, Booth 5, Cooper 5 (Dunn 72). Subs (not used): Hipkins. STAR MAN: Jan Mulders. ATTENDANCE: 501.