STOURPORT Swifts endured mixed festive results as they trounced strugglers Stapenhill 5-1 but lost 3-2 to high-flying Stratford Town.

Rod Brown's men are now 12th in the Midland Alliance but still have games in hand over many of their rivals.

They entertain Oldbury United on Saturday at Walshes Meadow before travelling to Willenhall Town next Tuesday.

But the Swifts looked proper turkeys on Boxing Day after going two down in only four minutes at Stratford.

The unhappy return of keeper Marc Pardoe began on three minutes when man of the match John Brant blasted home Adie Fitzhugh's cross.

Then Brant's long-range effort rebounded off the bar for Peter McBean to finish off.

Swifts got back into the game but Ayers saved well from Jamie Hart, who beat the offside trap, and from Lee Booth's header after an Adrian Cooper corner.

But Swifts' dominance was rewarded on 39 minutes when Lea Shaw's floated free-kick was headed home by Jan Mulders.

Swifts camped in the Stratford half during the second period and a 30-yard Shaw strike on 59 minutes was somehow pushed over the bar by Ayers.

Hart later ran through the defence and rounded the keeper only to miss the target.

But Swifts were level on 68 minutes when Booth's 20-yard drive was deflected for Cooper to pounce.

Further chances, an Alex Cowley chip and Mark Dearlove header, went begging and Swifts were made to suffer.

A long clearance found McBean and the striker shrugged off challenges from Paul Mountford and Mulders before firing past Pardoe.