MATCH REPORT: Swindon Town (0) v (3) Colchester United

SWINDON TOWN suffered their second defeat of the season as John McGreal’s Colchester United caused an upset at the County Ground with a three-nil victory to stop Swindon going top of the League Two standings. Total Sport Swindon’s Ryan Walker gives his match report live from the County Ground.

Theo Robinson came back to haunt Swindon fans by scoring a brace, along with a goal from defender Tom Eastman, proving to be the difference on what was a night to forget for Richie Wellens and STFC. 

A replica start to Saturday’s 3-0 home victory over Macclesfield, saw Swindon dominate the opening proceedings, but with no goal to show for their attacking prowess. 

Chances for Anderson, Doyle, and Iandolo, within the opening ten minutes, allowed Swindon to find pockets in the tight-knit defensive structure of John McGreal’s side, but failure to test keeper Dean Gerken allowed the visitors off the hook. 

Eoin Doyle’s fizzing shot in the 8th minute went narrowly wide of the Colchester goal, whilst Keshi Anderson’s elusive runs down the right wing created havoc amongst the oppositions defence but with the final key ball escaping the winger. 

Having hardly been tested against Macclesfield on Saturday, Town’s defenders were at times the makers of their own problems against Colchester, and were lucky to escape unharmed. 

Mathieu Baudry whilst confident in defence too frequently gave the ball away inside his own half, whilst Town’s urgency to get the ball forward quickly often resulted in passes going astray. 

As the match progressed, it was Colchester who looked the more likely of scoring. A combination of neat passing play and Town’s inability to keep possession created promising chances for the visitors. Thankfully they weren’t taken. 

Colchester should’ve done better in the 28th minute as club captain Luke Prosser had his timid header from Cohen Brammall’s corner saved on the line by McCormick. Whilst just minutes later former Swindon-loanee Theo Robinson was left stretching as Kwame Poku’s low ball into the box was just too far away from the Colchester strikers boot. 

Swindon attempted to restore balance as the match approached half-time with an abundance of set-pieces chances not taken by the hosts as three corners in the before the thirty minute mark seldom testing the United defenders. 

A competitive matchup saw both Brendan Serpong-Wiredu and Mathieu Baudry receive yellow cards for their troubles, with Baudry then being substituted in the 32nd minute after twice going down injured with the Frenchman replaced by Tom Broadbent. 

Having rarely partnered each other defence this season with Broadbent yet to start a league fixture for the Robins, it was clear that there was a lack of understanding between the defensive duo of Conroy and Broadbent as Colchester increased the pressure during the closing stages of the first half. 

Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu found himself one-on-one with McCormick in the 39th minute after Yates was dispossessed on the halfway line, only for the English midfielder to send his shot over the woodwork of McCormick’s goal. 

But as the away side continued to ramp up the intensity, Town became increasingly disorganised, and the hosts were eventually punished on the stroke of half-time as United centre-back Tom Eastman looped his header over McCormick from Cohen Bramall’s corner to give Colchester the lead. 

Matters were nearly made worse almost seconds later as Theo Robinson found himself unmarked level inside Town’s penalty box but the striker was off balance and his shot off target. 

Having never recorded four back-to-back victories under the stewardship of Richie Wellens, Swindon emerged for the second-half looking the more threatening out of the teams as Town went on the hunt for a quick equaliser. 

Eoin Doyle looked set to continue his fine goalscoring form almost immediately from the restart after Iandolo’s low cross into the Colchester area was tapped on by Yates but for Doyle to then fire his effort over the upright. 

Chances continued to come Swindon’s way as Wellens pushed his players forward. But having committed men upfield, Town were left short at the back as Theo Robinson marked his return to the County Ground with a goal against the run of play in the 54th minute, as a shot from the edge of the area took a deflection and wrong footed McCormick to nestle in the corner. 

The goal came at the worst possible time and it had a deflating effect on Swindon just as the Robins looked likely to get their equaliser. The introduction of Michael Doughty into the fray did little to change things as Town were left looking short of ideas and struggling to make headway against a United side that were happy to sit deep and stop long balls into the box. 

Kaiyne Woolery was brought on to replace Anderson with twenty minutes to go. But Swindon didn’t seem to have a plan b and a growing frustration resulted in desperate long balls forward that did little to threaten the U’s defence. 

Having gone two-nil down, Swindon attacked with the same energy and pace that has become the norm under Wellens. However as the clock ticked on, fatigue creeped into Town’s play and a breakaway counter-attack in the 74th minute all but sealed victory for Colchester as Nouble split open the hosts defence before passing into Robinson on the edge of the box as the strikers first time effort flew into the top left corner and past the helpless McCormick. 

A couple of half chances in the games remaining minutes offered little to get the 6000 strong home crowd off their seats, with Colchester holding on to take an impressive three-nil away victory as Town slipped to only their second defeat of the season. 

Richie Wellens insisted before the match that complacency would not creep into his squad as Swindon sought to go top of the League Two standings tonight. But John McGreal’s side exploited Town’s weaknesses to leave Wiltshire with a resounding victory.