FANTASTIC Frome soared to the top of the Southern League Premier Division with a superb win at Cirencester thanks to goals from Jon Davies, Mitchell Page, Dan Cleverley and Jake Jackson.

The only team change from Saturday’s victory over Hayes and Yeading was Darren Chitty returning from holiday and taking his place in goal.

The first 10 minutes of the match was pretty even as the teams settled, with Cirencester threatening on the right wing, but Frome looking organised in defence and dangerous on the counter.

The visitors took the lead in the 13th minute as a chipped ball into the Cirencester box was helped out for a corner by the arm of Cirencester’s Matt Liddiard.

The referee spotted the infringement, awarded the penalty and Davies scored easily from the spot kick.

The match then settled into a fast, feisty affair with Cirencester asking questions down each wing, but Frome almost doubled their lead in the 22nd minute as a Davies free kick was curled into the box, and as Cleverley flicked on, the stretching Mike Bryant poked the ball onto the post from very close range.

Cirencester continued to threaten, but Chitty only ever had to deal with a few shots and headers from long range, and Frome made it 2-0 in the 38th minute as George Miller curled in a lovely cross from the left and Page rose, hung in the air and powered home the header into the top corner from ten yards out.

The home side looked much faster and more determined at the start of the second half, and they duly pulled a goal back in the 49th minute as a period of pressure led to a cross that was nodded home at the far post by Lee Smith to make it 2-1 to Frome.

At this stage, Cirencester were going all out for the equaliser, Frome were defending in depth and were struggling to get out of their own half, and as the pressure built, only a superb defensive header from Marcus Mapstone and two great saves from Chitty in quick succession kept the visitors in front.

A lovely passing move involving Page and George Miller allowed Mike Bryant to shoot home in the 68th minute, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.

But two minutes later Frome made it 3-1 as a great Davies run into the box saw him ushered away from goal, but he turned and chipped the ball back in for Cleverley to hit a 20-yard volley sweetly into the corner of the net to the delight of the travelling fans.

The fully deserved fourth goal arrived for Frome in the 87th minute as another breathtaking interchange of passes let Darren Jefferies in on the right, and the winger raced to the dead ball line and pulled the ball back for fellow substitute Jake Jackson to shoot low into the net through the legs of Harvey Rivers.