GARNER REACTS: Swindon Town (0) v (1) Newport County

Ben Garner remained positive that his Swindon team can score goals in the absence of their leading goal scorer Harry McKirdy. Total Sport Swindon’s Ben Acklam spoke to the Swindon boss following his side’s latest setback.

Swindon slipped to 11th in League Two as their woes in front of goal continued and were hit late as Dion Conroy turned into his own net late on from Finn Azaz’s low ball in.

Garner was quizzed on Swindon’s goalscoring capabilities following the match but once again felt Town had been the better team and done enough to take three points.

He said: “I think first off we were very good. Really good at controlling the game and created good opportunities. 

“We just have to take them, you know, the level of chances that we created in the first half we have to score.

“It's just our quality at the moment in that final third that was costing us because then it makes the game so much harder than it needed to be.

“We didn't build on that second half. I'd like to see a little bit of a higher tempo and play with a little bit more intensity to get through the pitch.

“As I say you take chances in the first half and it is a very different game,” he said.

“From a coaching perspective, you're looking at how we get into the areas and what we do. You can't control the finish and the execution. 

“We didn't pose enough attacking threat and have enough zip to our play so that'd be something to reflect on and try and identify why that was and how we improve that.”

Garner also felt that his side had done enough to marginalise the threat from Newport and deserved more than they got from the game with the Exiles managing just one shot on target over the course of the 90 minutes.

He said: “There was no threat from them, I think they only had about four shots in the game, one on target JoJo had one save to make.

“Other than long throws and set pieces there was nothing else, we were completely in control from a defensive point of view and one moment in the game has cost there's no way we deserve to lose the game.

“For me, with the standard of our players and how we work, there have been too many mistakes in critical moments with crosses, finishes, and passes. 

“If we keep playing as we have done over the last three games, and we get those things right, we take nine points.”