MATCH REPORT: Swindon Town (1) v (0) Mansfield Town

SWINDON TOWN made it five league wins in a row as Eoin Doyle scored his seventeenth goal of the season to secure a 1-0 home victory over Mansfield Town to extend Swindon’s stay at the top of the League Two table. Total Sport Swindon’s Ryan Walker gives his match report from the County Ground.

Eoin Doyle’s 22nd minute strike was enough to wrap up all three league points for Swindon Town as a chaotic ninety minutes managed just one goal. Paul Caddis hit the post for the hosts on what his first start after returning to the club, whilst Mansfield’s Nicky Maynard came closest to scoring for the visitors with his 51st minute shot striking the woodwork. 

Richie Wellens made just one change from Swindon’s last league victory, a 2-1 away win over Salford City, as club legend Paul Caddis made his first start after signing on a short-term deal as Ellis Iandolo was relegated to the bench. 

Swindon came into the match seeking to make it five league wins in a row, having last achieved such a feat on December 13th 2014 when Mark Cooper’s Robins secured a 3-1 away win over Notts County. 

Richie Wellens has earlier in the season admitted that he has been surprised at how much improvement this STFC side has made during his opening year of management at the club. 

But as Swindon entered today’s game top of the league, and two points clear of their nearest rivals Forest Green, there was a high sense of optimism being generated around the County Ground. 

A lively start from the league leaders saw Paul Caddis nearly mark his return to the club in perfect fashion with his shot from the edge of the box hitting the inside of the post in the 7th minute as Mansfield eventually cleared their lines. 

Setting up in a 4-1-3-2 formation, Swindon enjoyed the majority of possession in the opening exchanges as they constantly switched the ball from flank to flank, as crosses into the box created a series of openings in the Stags backline. 

But despite being put under considerable pressure, the Mansfield defence remained resolute.

In contrast to Swindon’s attack, John Dempster’s Mansfield offered presented very little danger. Without joint-top scorer Danny Rose, Nicky Maynard was played as the lone striker, but a lack of quality in behind him allowed the Swindon defenders to nullify any threat that the 32-year-old tried to create. 

Consistently finding space on the wings, Swindon eventually got their breakthrough in the 22nd minute. 

A cross from Anthony Grant was brought down well by Kaiyne Woolery inside the box, with the wingers off-target strike falling to Doyle who hit the ball first time to the keepers left opening the scoring, bagging his seventeenth goal of the season and seventh in as many games. 

Swindon had been looking like scoring from the opening whistle and thoroughly deserved their lead after some good attacking play eventually created a moment of panic inside the area with Doyle being on hand to take advantage of the chaos. 

Mansfield responded well though and some neat interlinking play on the edge of the Swindon box in the 26th minute almost saw Andy Cook played through on goal but for a last-ditch tackle by Mathieu Baudry dispossessing the attacker. Swindon looked to break up the other end before Grant was hacked down and a yellow card subsequently shown to Alistair Smith. 

The game progressed and chances for both sides created an entertaining spectacle for those in attendance as Swindon aimed to maintain their stranglehold at the top of the League Two table. 

Doyle looked certain to have doubled Town’s lead in the 36th minute after being found unmarked inside the Mansfield area with his shot looking destined for the back of the net, but a strong save from Conrad Logan deflected the shot onto the bar with the Stags eventually managing to clear. 

As the half entered its latter stages, Mansfield created a series of chances but a host of individual errors combined with some good defending from Swindon denied them an equaliser. 

Jacob Mellis found himself one-on-one with Steven Benda in the 36th minute as the keeper stood his ground well to block the eventual shot, as just a minute later Maynard put his effort well wide.

A series of chances in the final minutes of the first-half saw Kellan Gordon, Andy Cook, and Alistair Smith all presented with goalscoring opportunities, but neither could take their chances as Swindon left the field at the halfway stage with their lead just about in tact.

Mansfield started the second-half in the same fashion that they finished the first creating multiple chances as they attempted to force an equaliser. 

Nicky Maynard wasted a golden opportunity to level the match after firing his shot off the post in the 51st minute having been played through on goal by a pass from Cook. Whilst a header from 

Gordon just moments later was brilliantly clawed away by Benda to keep Swindon’s lead in tact. Maynard again had a brilliant chance to equalise the game in the 59th minute after being put through one-on-one with Benda but put his shot well wide to the dismay of the travelling fans. 

Having recognised the attacking threat posed by Mansfield, Wellens made a defensive substitution in the form of Tom Broadbent as the defender was brought on to replace Doughty in the 63rd minute. 

Swindon had chances of their own with Yates coming close with a shot from range in the 68th minute that narrowly went over as Woolery pull-back across the face of the Mansfield goal in the 77th minute was just out of reach of the onrushing Yates.

Mansfield pushed all of their players forward in the matches closing moments attempting to force an equaliser but Swindon remained resolute and held on to seal their fifth league win in a row and extending their stay at the top of the League Two table.