ON-THE-WHISTLE MATCH REPORT: Swindon Town 0-1 Grimsby Town

A controversial penalty decision condemned Swindon to back-to-back defeats.

Grimsby Town's Mitch Rose was given the task to slot in the 45th-minute penalty, and he did so with pinache, but it was the awarding of the spot-kick which angered the home supporters.

Just as the board went up for one minute of added-on time, Harry Cardwell was on the deck in the box, after a soft, inadvertent clip of the heels by Ryan McGivern, and, to add insult to injury, the contact seemed to take place outside of the box.

Rose made no mistake from 12 yards, however, as he tucked it in low to Reice Charles-Cooks right-hand side. Charles-Cook guessed the correct way, but the strike was right in the corner and out of his reach.

Swindon were on the wrong side of more controversy 15 minutes before that too, as Paul Mullin had a goal chalked off.

Chris Hussey swung in a cross, Marc Richards knocked it across goal and Mullin was there to divert it over the line from a yard out, initially it seemed with his head, and Swindon fans celebrated, but only briefly, as the linesman deemed it to be a handball by Mullin. No goal.

Prior to all the controversy, Swindon were on the front foot, and had their first shot after just 10 seconds, but Mullin dragged his effort well wide of the Grimsby goal. 

Relegation-threatened Grimsby hit back five minutes later, when a deep Rose throw-in was only headed into the path of Harry Clifton, but he could only manage a half-volley that went high and wide.

Swindon came back in the 10th minute, but again the shot was poor, as Richards' pea-roller from the edge of the box was easily saved by James McKeown.

Back came Grimsby two minutes later, with a Reece Hall-Johnson cross from the right, which was low and swerving, but was just out of reach of JJ Hooper, who would have scored if he made contact.

Swindon were down the other end soon after, but Amine Linganzi, not known for his goalscoring capabilities, showed why when he smacked a half-volley well over from 12 yards.

McKeown had to make a proper save on the 20-minute mark however when Mullin's shot from the edge of the box swerved and dipped, and had to be palmed away well by the Grimsby goalkeeper.

Richards had Swindon's best, and last, effort of the opening 45, and really should have scored.

Keshi Anderson carried the ball well and played in the experience forward, but Richards' shot clanged off the bar and out for a goal-kick, instead of nestling into the back of the net.

The hosts started the second half brightly too, without finding the goal. A neat give-and-go between Mullin and Richards ended with the former curling just wide from the edge of the box.

Then, on 52 minutes, a short Matt Taylor free-kick picked out Anderson, who shot on the turn from distance, and McKeown dived to his right to push it away.

Debutant Joe Romanski fired the rebound well over from a tight angle. 

Charles-Cook barely touched the ball all game, as Grimsby were limited to Danny Collins heading a corner wide and Nathan Clarke heading one towards goal, which was blocked on the line by sub Donal McDermott.

Clifton also nodded a right-sided cross wide as the Mariners started to push Swindon and punish the Robins on the counter-attack.

Swindon's efforts were summed up five minutes from time when McDermott smashed a shot well over the bar, after being played in by fellow sub Scott Twine, which led to a section of the home support heading for the exit door.

Twine came close himself with a rasping effort in second-half stoppage time, but Swindon were unable to find a leveller, and they will be playing League Two football next season.

Swindon Town XI: Charles-Cook, Knoyle, Romanski, McGivern, Hussey, Anderson (Twine '71), Dunne (McDermott '59), Linganzi, Taylor, Richards, Mullin (Banks '59)

Subs not used: Moore, Purkiss, Elsnik, Young

Grimsby Town: McKeown, Clarke, Collins, Rose, Hooper (Sulliman '85), Clifton, Cardwell (Jackson '71), Summerfield, Fox, Woolford, Hall-Johnson (Davies '71)

Subs not used: McSheffery, Dembele, Matt, Killip

Referee: John Brooks

Attendance: 6,690

Man of the Match: Chris Hussey