A LEE Jefferies brace handed Gloucester City a 2-0 win at Swindon Supermarine and sealed the Tigers' return to the Premier Division.

Jefferies scored with two headers either side of the break to extend Gloucester's winning run to six and cement a top-seven place.

Set pieces proved Marine's undoing and the early warning signs were there as Lee Smith's corner was headed just wide by Andy Hoskins on ten minutes.

Marine keeper Tom King then denied Jimmy Cox with a point-blank stop but the reprieve was short-lived as Jefferies swooped to score on 31 minutes.

Smith's corner was only partially cleared and the Gloucester man was unchallenged as he found the net with a looping header.

Dave Gee twice went close to orchestrating an equaliser early in the second period with two free-kicks.

Another corner sealed Marine's fate on the hour. Smith's right-wing flag-kick was again met by the head of Jefferies to leave Mark Collier's side two goals adrift.

Jefferies almost completed a hat-trick of headers late on when former Marine winger Keith Knight swept in another set piece, only for Adam Howarth to take the ball from the head of his own teammate.

Steve Bennett was inches away from hitting a spectacular consolation at the death, but his rasping 35-yard drive rattled the underside of the crossbar and bounced over.

Hunts Copse boss Collier admitted that his side's lack of ariel prowess needs to be addressed before next term.

"We were bullied out of it really," he said. "Gloucester are a massive side. They send their six foot four defenders up for corners and it's fair to say we were undone by set pieces."

Marine's misery was compounded when captain Giles Harris was ruled out for the rest of the season after aggravating a knee injury.

Supermarine slipped to a 1-0 Western Division defeat at Evesham on Monday. After Dave Toomey had dragged a shot wide and Jimmy Carter headed against a post, the hosts went ahead against the run of play.

Craig Pountey's speculative cross-shot deceived Tom King and flew in.

Marine hit the woodwork again through Toomey but Evesham held out.