5 THINGS WE LEARNT: Swindon Town v Mansfield

SWINDON TOWN extended their winning run in the league to five games as Eoin Doyle's 17th goal of the season saw Town run out 1-0 winners against Mansfield to stay top of League Two. Total Sport Swindon's Rajan Hothi gives his analysis on '5 things we learnt' following the result.

1.) Swindon have learnt to grind out games

It was a real chalk and cheese performance from Swindon who had the better of the first-half but were on the back foot for the majority of the second as Mansfield looked to turn the game around. 

Swindon's back-line stood firm and a couple of good stops by Steven Benda saw the hosts keep Mansfield at bay showing that this Town side can dig in and put in a gritty performance. 

Games earlier in the season such as Crewe, Plymouth and even Cheltenham a few weeks ago saw Swindon take the lead, but concede late on, however, Richie Wellens' side showed a different side to them as they dug in and held on for the win.

2.) Town are ruthless against the bottom half

Swindon have played 11 teams in the bottom half of the league this season, and they've ran out victors in all 11 of these games - scoring 26 goals and conceding just seven in the process.

Last season, Swindon found it hard to beat the poorer sides in the division, which eventually saw their late play-off push derailed, but it looks like Wellens and co. have found the formula to rack up wins against the bottom half teams. 

Six of these 11 wins have come at the County Ground, and the struggling sides that still have to travel to SN1 will not be looking forward to their visit. 
 
3.) Tom Broadbent could still have a role to play

Tom Broadbent hasn't had too many chances to showcase his talents this season, but in the few cameos he has made, he hasn't impressed.

However, as Mansfield started to dominate, and with an equaliser looking inevitable, Broadbent was subbed on and played a big role in Swindon getting the win.

The 27-year-old won his aerial battles, kept it simple, and made Town's back-line look a lot more assured as Swindon contained the Mansfield attack. 

If Broadbent can put in more solid shifts like that, he might still have a future with Swindon. 

4.) Paul Caddis' quality is still evident

Despite the majority of Swindon fans being overjoyed by the return of Paul Caddis, a few fans were understandably wary if the Scotsman still had the quality he displayed in his first stint with the club.

The 31-year-old showed those cautious fans that he still has plenty to offer as he put in an impressive performance at left-back.

Caddis did his defensive duties well and looked a threat going forward - with his curling long-range strike almost raising the roof off of the County Ground before hitting the post. 

While he may not be completely match fit, Caddis kept battling and played a big part in Swindon's win. 

5.) Michael Doughty hasn't yet recovered his form of last season

There is no questioning the ability Michael Doughty has, but since returning to the side, he has struggled to rekindle his form of last season. 

The midfielder certainly wasn't poor against Mansfield, but it was another fairly average performance from the 27-year-old who was replaced after the hour-mark.

Doughty has looked more of a threat when pushed further up the pitch and did well last week at Salford, but a poor mid-week showing against Cheltenham followed by an average performance on Saturday shows that at the moment, he's too inconsistent.