LADIES FOOTBALL: SWINDON Spitfires rounded off a successful season with a footballing feast at the weekend.

The ladies' club held their annual tournament and fun day at South Marston Rec and the impressive turnout backed statistics which suggest football is now the most popular sport among the nation's female population.

Hundreds took part in the event, with Saturday's fun day, featuring games and coaching sessions, attracting more than 70 youngsters.

Six-a-side tournaments for U10s and under 12s also took place on day one, and the hosts were heavily involved in both competitions.

There was a home win in the U10 contest, as the Spitfires edged local rivals Swindon Badgers 1-0 in the final thanks to Alice Smith's goal.

Spitfires' Paul Tollemache said: "This proved to be the ideal end to a season which has seen the youngest Spitfires players go from strength to strength in recent months."

But the club narrowly failed to make it a Saturday double when their U12 side suffered a 1-0 extra-time defeat to Swindon Town Ladies.

Sunday was aimed at the more experienced players, with both the U14 and senior contests producing some fine football.

Swindon Town again took the prizes in both sections. All three of Town's U14 teams made the semi-finals after topping their respective groups, with Devon side Buckfastleigh completing the quartet.

Town's A squad beat the B side on penalties in the last four, to set up a showdown with the C team, who beat Buckfastleigh 1-0. In the final, the C side managed to upset their club colleagues with a 2-1 win.

More Town joy followed in the open age group, as Swindon cruised through group four before beating Bristol United and Town B to make the final.

Buckfastleigh were their opponents, clinically eliminating the Spitfires and Chippenham Town along the way.

But the team from Devon were unable to beat Swindon in a classic final. With the score tied at 2-2, the match went to penalties, and Swindon won the shoot-out 3-1.

Tollemache said: "All the matches were played in a good, sporting spirit and the standard of play was excellent.

"The weekend was the perfect way to cap what has been one of the club's best ever seasons, which has seen us expand dramatically and clinch the FA Charter Standard status."