MATCH REPORT: Forest Green Rovers (2) v (2) Swindon Town

SWINDON TOWN conceded a 92nd minute stoppage time equaliser as end-to-end football saw the points split at The New Lawn in a 2-2 draw that keeps Swindon top of League Two. Total Sport Swindon’s Ryan Walker gives his match report following the action.

Eoin Doyle scored his 20th and 21st goals of the season to put Swindon in control of this match but a brace from Rovers Captain Joseph Mills ensured the spoils were split following an entertaining ninety minutes of football.?

The festive cheer that was built up around The New Lawn prior to kick-off was quickly eliminated once proceedings got underway between the two sides who sit just miles apart from one another. 

Mark Cooper’s Forest Green Rovers enjoyed the brighter spells of possession in the opening stages of play as the hosts moved the ball forward well to create openings in the Swindon defence. 

Swindon - unbeaten in their last seven games - were slightly off their usual pace in the initial periods as they struggled to pin their trademark style onto proceedings with Mathieu Baudry’s 9th minute booking highlighting potential weaknesses in the Swindon defence. 

The visitors however quickly stamped their authority on the game however as the leagues top scorer Eoin Doyle put the hosts ahead in the 16th minute after tapping in a Rob Hunt cross from close range to score his 20th goal of the season and tenth in as many games. 

A goal against the run of play injected a new lease of energy into the Robins as they began to flex their attacking muscles in the final third. 

However the early confidence that had been built up by the Rovers was extinguished as they resorted to route one football as ineffective long balls were played up to Matty Stevens.

Jerry Yates had an opportunity to double Swindon’s advantage after creating space for himself inside the Forest Green box in the 19th minute, but was let down by his decision-making as he opted to cross the ball to the back-post fro Doyle instead of taking on the shot himself. 

Liam Kitching created a half chance with a through ball into the path of Stevens nearly finding the striker in the 29th minute before Swindon’s Zeki Fryers intercepted inside his own area with a last-ditch challenge. 

Operating as a strong collective outfit, Swindon were dominant in every area of the pitch and scored their second in the 34th minute as Doyle latched onto a Kaiyne Woolery header to smash the ball past the helpless Adam Smith from close-range. 

Jerry Yates had an opportunity to make it three-nil on the stroke of half-time after being played through for a one v one by Doughty following a fluid Swindon counter-attack, but his effort was hit straight at Smith as the keeper saved well with Swindon forced to settle for a two-nil lead at the halfway stage. 

A dishevelled Forest Green emerged for the second half looking to respond with an early goal but it was Swindon who threatened first as Woolery raced into the Rovers box before Doyle’s goal bound shot was blocked and eventually cleared. 

Rovers attempting to go blow-for-blow with Swindon began to threaten in attacking areas with Captain Joseph Mills forcing a good save from Stevem Benda after firing a powerful shot at his near post in the 49th minute. 

Enjoying some early possession, Rovers began to build in confidence and got their breakthrough in the 55th minute after a low-cross to the back-post caught the Swindon defence sleeping with Mills creeping in to tap home from close-range to give the hosts a lifeline. 

The goal created a stalemate of affairs as both managers made tactical changes with Wellens instructing his players to sit deeper as they sought to not concede again, whilst Cooper was tentative to commit too many of his players forward due to Swindon’s blistering pace on the counter-attack. 

End-to-end action created entertaining football but a lack of quality in the final thirds saw possession frequently exchanged with little end product to show for either sides efforts. 

Counter-attacking football from the visitors began to cause havoc inside the Rovers half and a nice move in the 69th minute involving Doughty and Grant, concluded with Doyle’s shot being cleared off the line by Aitchison to deny the striker his hattrick. 

Moments later Baudry’s header forced a fantastic diving save from Smith as the hosts clung on. 

A raucous final ten minutes saw both teams come close to scoring with Mills almost grabbing his second with a shot from range momentarily escaping the grasp of Benda, whilst at the other end of the pitch a cross from Yates narrowly avoided Doyle. 

As the match entered it’s closing moments Swindon were put under immense pressure as the hosts accumulated a series of corners that the visitors struggled to deal with. 

Entering stoppage time, FGR goalkeeper Adam Smith rose highest as another corner was delivered deep into the Swindon penalty area with his touch causing the ball to fall to Mills who smashed home from close-range to grab a late equaliser as the points were split at The New Lawn.