ON-THE-WHISTLE MATCH REPORT: Swindon Town 2-2 Chesterfield

Luke Norris' penalty with the last kick of the game snatched a late, late point for Swindon Town.

Norris slotted home his spot-kick after he was pulled down in the box deep into stoppage time and, despite a late delay due to Chesterfield hijinks, kept his cool to make it 2-2.

Timi Elsnik, who scored a brace in Swindon's 5-0 win over Dartford in the FA Cup, opened the scoring in the 47th minute when he turned his defender brilliantly and drilled into the far corner from just inside the box.

Swindon did not have the lead for long though as Kristian Dennis levelled for Chesterfield less than ten minutes later.

Jak McCourt made it 2-1 with a superb 35-yard strike.

The first half did not see many shots on goal, but it was by no means short of incident as referee Lee Collins gave the supporters plenty to talk about at half-time and in the pub post-match.

In the ninth minute, Swindon striker Kaiyne Woolery put pressure on the Chesterfield goalkeeper which forced Joe Anyon to clear the ball out in a hurry.

It came back off Woolery and dribbled towards the goal, and Chesterfield cleared, but Woolery was held back by Anyon as the ex-Wigan man tried to latch onto the block to tap Swindon into the lead. The home support feel they should have been given a penalty but the officials were having none of it.

Then with half an hour played, substitute Luke Norris headed a Matty Taylor corner towards the goal and he, along with most of the stadium thought it was 1-0 to the hosts, but again referee Collins waved it away, insisting that Kristian Dennis cleared the ball off the line rather than beyond it.

Chesterfield had a penalty shout of their own soon after when the ball struck the arm of captain Olly Lancashire but, for the third time, Collins felt no wrongdoing had been committed and play resumed. 

Swindon also had to deal with two enforced changes before 30 minutes had even been played, as Amine Linganzi had to be replaced by Johnny Goddard after only four minutes and Harry Smith was subbed for Norris following a clash of heads with Sam Hird on the 28-minute mark.

Hird was brought off himself during the half-time break.

Shots were few and far between in the first half, although Goddard came close as soon as he came onto the pitch, as his rasping effort from 30 yards was tipped behind for a corner by Anyon.

Visitors Chesterfield had their best opportunity of the first period after 18 minutes when Joe Rowley cut a wonderful Louis Reed ball to Dennis, but the latter could only head wide from about six yards.

Smith also saw a tame header easily saved by Anyon while Taylor hit a couple of free-kicks into the wall or just wide. 

Chesterfield keeper Anyon continued to look dodgy, however. He almost fouled a second striker, Anderson, when the on-loan Crystal Palace man nicked a header past him, but Anyon pulled out and Anderson stumbled an effort wide when he was off balance from a tight angle.

The second half definitely saw more shots, and four goals, with the first of them going Swindon's way when Elsnik scored an impressive finish to put Swindon into the lead.

Only a minute later, Dennis could and should have made it 1-1 but he could only blaze a bouncing ball over from about five yards as the away side started to really cause Swindon problems.

Dennis latched onto a great pass by Reed and controlled it expertly before lashing past Reice Charles-Cook in the Swindon goal for 1-1.

Sub Jerome Binnom-Williams almost put Chesterfield infront soon after coming on, but he rushed his volley from close range and it sailed over the bar.

Swindon began to look exposed as they pushed for the winner, and Taylor in particular looked vulnerable as Rowley twice came close with shots after being given freedom of the right wing.

There was nothing Taylor, or anyone else from Town, could have done to prevent Rowley from giving Chesterfield the lead though as his fantastic shot from 35 yards-plus pinged off the underside of the bar and in, leaving Charles-Cook as a mere spectator.

Swindon were pushing prior to that, as Anderson and Norris both flicked efforts towards goal, but neither worried Anyon.

Chesterfield could have pulled away not long after as Andy Kellett drilled just wide from inside the box.

Town were given four minutes of additional time to get the late equaliser and managed it with that all-important last-gasp penalty. 

Swindon Town: Charles-Cook, Purkiss, Lancashire, Preston, Taylor, Dunne, Elsnik, Linganzi (Goddard '4), Woolery (Mullin '66), Harry Smith (Norris '28), Keshi Anderson

Subs not used: Henry, Robertson Knoyle, Gordon

Chesterfield: Anyon, Hird (Maguire '45), Wiseman, Evatt, Dennis, Rowley, Kellett, Reed, McCourt, Barry, Briggs (Binnom-Williams '60)

Subs not used: Sinnott, Dimaio, De Girolamo, Weir, Parkin

Referee: Lee Collins

Man-of-the-match: Timi Elsnik