Briggs fired winner but it wasn't as smooth as it should have been for Moneyfields

A second-half Joe Briggs' strike proved enough to see off the stubborn resistance from the visitors.

It gave Moneys a 1-0 success at Dover Road to keep their good form going in Southern League division one south.

Slimbridge were reduced to 10-men early on following an off-the-ball incident.

Two yellow cards in quick succession for Dan Woodward either side of half-time evened things up.

Moneys boss Carter said: '˜It was a frustrating affair and we needed to be far more clinical in front of goal.

'˜When a team goes down to 10 men it doesn't always make it easier.

'˜Slimbridge just put 10 men behind the ball and set out to try to hit us on the break.

'˜We had loads of possession but couldn't break them down.

'˜Even when we had three or four one-on-ones with their goalkeeper we failed to make it count.

'˜I thought it was going to be one of those afternoons when we couldn't score.

'˜Once we went down to 10 men at the start of the second half it opened things up a little bit more.

'˜When we finally made the breakthrough it was from our worst shot of all.

'˜Once we got in front then we managed the game well to see it out.'

Slimbridge saw red after just six minutes when a defender elbowed Steve Hutchings as a corner was about to be taken.

Hutchings twice and Dan Wooden then missed out with just the goalkeeper to beat.

On 60 minutes Lewis Fennemore was denied by a great save with the goalkeeper tipping his shot onto the crossbar.

The decisive moment arrived in the 78th minute after Hutchings flicked the ball cleverly through to Briggs.

Though the striker scuffed his shot the goalkeeper fumbled it and the ball ended up in the net.

Carter felt his third-placed team definitely deserved the three points.

He was pleased they stayed in touch with the top two in the division.

He added: '˜I don't think our goalkeeper Steve Mowthorpe touched the ball in the second half.

'˜If we had been a bit more clinical in front of goal we would have won far more easily.

'˜With the other teams also winning at the top it was important we matched them.

'˜This keeps us right up there with them.

'˜It wasn't pretty but picking up the three points was our main focus and we achieved that.'