Swindon Town v Town
Swindon Town: Lawrence Vigouroux, Conor Thomas, Anton Rodgers (Yaser Kasim 71), Jon Obika (c), Johnny Goddard, James Brophy, Sean Murray (Jermaine Hylton 77) Bradley Barry, Lloyd Jones, Raphael Rossi-Branco, Luke NorrisSubs: Will Henry, Jordan Stewart, Jake Evans, Nathan Delfouneso, Louis Spalding
Town: Jayson Leutwiler, Joe Riley, Mat Sadler, Abu Ogogo, Louis Dodds, Junior Brown, Gary Deegan, Freddie Ladapo, Aristote Nsiala, Alex Rodman (Shaun Whalley 76), Adam El-Abd (c)
Subs: Mark Halstead, Jim O'Brien, Dom Smith, George Waring, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Callum Grogan
Ref: Nigel Miller
Assistants: Paul Hobday and Ian Rathbone
Fourth Official: Graham Horwood
Attendance: 6137 (259 from Town)
Paul Hurst makes four changes from the side that started against Fleetwood Town last week with new faces Freddie Ladapo, Alex Rodman and Aristote Nsiala come straight in while Gary Deegan in in for Ian Black. Black is missing for personal reasons, Olly Lancashire is injured while Dom Smith and Shaun Whalley drop down to the bench.
Town started the game positively and were straight at the home side looking to take the early advantage. Dodds played a lovely ball to the left to find Brown out wide, he picked the ball up and drove towards goal before playing in Ladapo, he turned to get his shot in but it was blocked for a Town corner.
Swindon had a couple of good sights of the Town goal after Obika get in behind Nsiala, he stayed close but Obika drove the ball across but El-Abd was covering well with an important sliding block to concede a corner. The ball was delivered into the Town box and there was Obika in space to head the ball, but luckily for Town he put it wide of the mark.
Swindon had another good chance on 20 minutes when they moved the ball quickly and put Obika in on goal, he got a low shot in but Leutwiler was equal to it with an important block at the near post. The corner was swung into the Town box and dropped at the back post, there was space for a Swindon player to get the shot in but Leutwiler was there again with an important block.
Town were seeing a lot of the ball and were looking to move it quickly, Ogogo played it to Brown who then moved it quickly to Rodman, he took it forward and then tried his luck from long range but Rodgers got it the way to deflect it behind for a Town corner.
The first booking of the game went to Town after Dodds slid in and caught Brophy, the Swindon man stayed down and ref Miller saw enough to produce a yellow card for the Town man.
Town were looking strong and Rodman did well to nick the ball away and Town broke quickly, he put it to Brown who kept the run going and then played it back wide to Rodman, he attempted a quick first time ball into the danger area but it was put behind for another Town corner.
Town were continuing to put the pressure on and they were moving the ball well, it was put out wide to find Riley and he put in a good cross that Sadler met with his head to loop a ball in on goal but Vigouroux was there to tip the ball over for a corner. The corner was swung into the Swindon box and there was Nsiala with a header but Vigouroux was again there to collect.
Half-time: 0-0
Swindon had a good chance to grab the lead after Murray delivered a good corner in to the Town box, Rossi-Branco rose well and got a good header in on goal but it was over the bar.
Leutwiler cleared the ball but it was quickly put back towards the Town goal and Norris was in on goal, Leutwiler got a foot in to block the ball but it rolled back towards the Town goal and Norris, Nsiala slid in to tackle but Norris went down and ref Miller was on the spot and saw the challenge as a foul from Nsiala and awarded a penalty to Swindon and produced a red card for Nsiala. It was Goddard who placed the ball, Leutwiler dived the right way but Goddard put enough on it to put the kick home and make it 1-0 to the home side.
Town had a good sight of goal after Brown drove in a low ball to find Ladapo in space in the box, he turned and curled in a decent looking shot but Rodgers had come across to block for a corner, though Ladapo saw enough to appeal for a handball.
Swindon had another good chance when a slip from Deegan saw Swindon break, the ball was played to Goddard, who looked offside but the officials were in good positions, and he was in on goal, Sadler was behind him but slid in to nick the ball away with a well timed tackle, though Goddard did go to ground but with ref Miller close by he saw nothing a miss.
Town had a good chance on 68 minutes when Riley drove the ball into the box to find Rodman in the box, he set the ball for Dodds who drove in a shot from the outside of the box but it was just wide of the mark.
10 men Town were continuing to push for a goal and when Ladapo got the ball out on the right he drove past Brophy towards the Swindon box, Brophy wrestled Freddie to the ground for a foul and it was a second booking for Brophy who was then shown a red to reduce Swindon to 10 men.
Town were still creating and when the ball dropped in the box Deegan drove in and turned it goal wards, but Barry was in the right place to block the ball for a Town corner.
Moments later Town were back on level terms, Shaun Whalley delivered a good free-kick in and Mat Sadler got his head to it and put it over Vigouroux, the ball hit the bar and then dropped down, there was confusion as to whether it crossed the line but the assistant had a clear view and gave the goal.
The game was so open in the closing minutes with both sides still pushing for the win, Town had some good openings with Whalley in particular getting into some good positions but in the end it was a point apiece and enough to take Town out of the relegation spaces.
Full-time: 1-1