AFTER a dire first half that saw them trailing 2-0 at the break, two odd penalties within two minutes, a Mitchell Page-inspired comeback and a stunner from Darren Jefferies, Frome eventually lost out 3-2 to Biggleswade on Saturday.

After the poor performance against Weymouth in midweek, Chas Hemmings took his place in the team, with George Miller and Mike Bryant still unavailable for selection.

The early exchanges saw the visitors go close as Kyle Phillips had to come a long way out of his goal to just beat Jack Brown to the ball, and with Brown shooting across the face of the home goal in the eighth minute, Frome again seemed to be slow to get going.

Biggleswade duly took the lead in the 11th minute as a mis-timed header allowed Jack Brown to get behind and pull the ball across the box to Morgan Penfold, who would surely have scored if Kris Miller had not slid in and pushed the ball the wrong side of the post for an own goal.

Phillips did well to save twice in the space of a few seconds in the 22nd minute and Sam Teale might have equalised in the 25th as he cleanly got his head to a swinging Jon Davies corner, only to direct the header over the bar.

Jake Jackson brought a low save from Liam Gooch in the 27th minute as he managed to evade his markers, but then it all went wrong as two or more headers were missed in the home defence and Brown had the easiest of tasks to shoot home.

Connor Hall almost made it 3-0 in the 31st minute as he turned and shot across the face of the home goal only to see the ball just miss the far post.

Frome were a bit better after the break, spending more time in the visitor’s half and they were rewarded in the 54th minute as a viciously-spinning high ball came down on the penalty spot and bounced up against a defender’s arm, with the referee blowing for a penalty that Davies duly despatched to make it 2-1.

Those hopes were dashed two minutes later as a Frome attack broke down, Biggleswade attacked on the right and as the low cross came in it hit a defender’s arm, the linesman flagged and Shane Hill hammered the ball into the top corner from the penalty spot.

Frome huffed and puffed trying to make an impression on the visitors, but the game really changed in the 70th minute as Page came on in place of Ollie Knight.

Page put a shot past the post after Jackson had made space for him, and two minutes later Page returned the favour and his header to Jackson brought a good save form Gooch.

However, Brown could have sealed it for the visitors in the 75th minute as he blasted over a great chance from six yards after good work from Robbie Parker.

A very good run and 20-yard left foot shot from Connor Hall was only just tipped over by Phillips two minutes later.

Frome pulled it back to 3-2 in the 80th minute as a low Davies right-wing corner evaded everyone and man of the match  Jefferies hit a screamer form the edge of the the box that flew unerringly into the corner.

Darren Jefferies was awarded the H&B Tyres Man of the Match award.