Just one change to the side that did so well up at Portman Road in midweek, with Luciano Alvares being given his debut after he finally got through his international clearance as Matt Harrold dropped to the bench.

The game got off to an extraordinary start, with the Glovers needing just 26 seconds to take the lead in the match. A long ball in from the left wing from Nathan Jones, after Kevin Amankwaah had switched the ball across the flanks saw Pablo BASTIANINI chest the ball down, muscle his way past his marker, and volley the ball into the back of the net from 12 yards out before many supporters had even got into their seats. What a start!

Yeovil continued their confident start with a Kevin Amankwaah long throw causing a spot of head tennis within the Swindon penalty area, and Lee Johnson firing a loose ball from the edge of the box just wide of the target.

Swindon got their first opportunity 14 minutes into the game, via a right wing cross, but Jamie Cureton wasted his opportunity, clearing the crossbar by around three yards. But ten minutes later Swindon drew level marginally against the run of play with their second chance of the game. Gareth Whalley managed to cut down the left flank, and when he put a low cross past Chris Weale's near post, Terry SKIVERTON slid the ball into his own net for an unfortunate own goal. In fairness to Skivo, if he hadn't 'scored' then Rory Fallon, breathing down his neck, would have guaranteed an equaliser.

Yeovil had an opportunity for a clear penalty to be awarded half an hour into the game, when Arron Davies had his legs clearly taken away from him as he passed the ball out wide to Pablo Bastianini but referee Peter Walton waved play-on, presumably claiming some kind of an advantage, although you could stake your house on such a tackle resulting in a free kick if it had been an incident outside the area.

A minute later Darren Way almost got a deflected goal when he shot from the edge of the area, with the deflection causing the ball to loop nastily. Keeper Tom Heaton landed with his feet well behind the goal-line, but luckily for him was leant forward enough to convince the linesman that he had caught it in front of his goal.

Swindon captain Sean O'Hanlon had twisted his ankle early in the game and he was replaced by Andy Gurney, making his return to the Wiltshire club from a brief spell in Swansea, where he still apparently remains partly on the Jacks wage bill.

Pablo Bastianini was causing the Swindon defence all kinds of problems, and he weaved his way through the Swindon back line with only a scuffed shot letting him down after an excellent solo run. His countryman was having a quieter game, but was still involved well, and he landed a Nathan Jones corner onto the top of the goalframe through a header.

Swindon were seeing far less of the ball during this first period, and on the occasions when they did again Jamie Cureton was wasteful. Following a defensive slip-up and a handy ricochet he found himself staring down Chris Weale, but his weak shot went straight into the Yeovil keeper's arms.

Inconsistency from the referee let Yeovil down again, when Darren Way was fouled outside the area, but Arron Davies was left through on goal - this time referee Walton blew up for a free-kick, stopping any possibility of an advantage from developing - the exact opposite of what he had done ten minutes periously. Arm signals from Davies and Way pointing both inside and outside the box made it very clear that they were drawing attention to those inconsistencies.

Three minutes from the break, only a fantastic save from Swindon keeper Tom Heaton denied Bastianini a second goal of the game, when he palmed away the Argentinian's firm drive for a corner. It had been a reasonable half for the Glovers with plenty of chances created, and not even an injury time Andy Gurney free kick after Michael Pook had suspiciously fallen over Colin Miles's boot could give Swindon an advantage, with the set piece blocked by Terry Skiverton.

Whilst Yeovil had started the first half sharper, it was Swindon who came out the blocks quicker with Chris Weale being forced into a strong parried save on his near post, five minutes into the half and Terry Skiverton forced to hack the ball away for a corner.

A minute later though and Swindon had turned the tables on Yeovil. Jack Smith was allowed way too much room to run at the Yeovil back line and as the 'green sea' kindly parted, he thumped in a shot from the edge of the area with his shot crashing off the underside of the crossbar. Rory FALLON was the first to react and despite a linesman's offside flag being raised, the referee over-ruled and the goal stood, with video replays later showing that the linesman was in the wrong.

Luciano Alvares shot on the volley whilst Bastianini sliced the ball on his weaker foot as Yeovil tried to get back on level terms quickly. But the home side had their tails up and were creating far more during the second half. Colin Heath forced Chris Weale into a save on the hour mark to demonstrate Swindon's new found control on the game.

The Glovers weren't being helped too much by some suspect decisions going against them. A long backpass clearly went for a corner, but an out of position linesman couldn't give it. Paul Terry - on for a rather anonymous Arron Davies - looked to have been bodychecked off the ball by Patrick Collins, who was looking to stop the Yeovil midfielder from getting the ball before the home keeper did on a through-ball. Once again the match referee was uninterested. A minute later Yeovil were hard done by again as Darren Way was hauled down near the corner flag with the linesman uninterested by a certain shirt tug. Whilst Yeovil's play was not as sharp as during the first period, these decisions were not helping them in their quest.

The path of the game though was decided by a dreadful error by Paul Terry in midfield, midway through the half. Who exactly Terry was trying to pass to isn't clear, but Ricky Shakes got an absolute gift, and his first time pass put Colin Heath in behind the Yeovil defence, and the on loan Manchester United man shot past Chris Weale and into the corner of the net to almost certainly wrap the game up at 3-1.

Yeovil looked deflated and Gary Johnson tried to liven things up with Matt Harrold replacing a tired looking Luciano Alvares. They thought they had got their reward, when Nathan Jones was taken out by a rash challenge by Swindon's Andy Gurney inside the area. Not even Mr Walton could have failed to award the spot kick, but Lee Johnson's stuttering run-up saw his kick saved by Tom Heaton and Swindon were let off the hook. Johnson was replaced shortly afterwards by Kevin Gall, as Yeovil refused to give up, but were seemingly running out of steam.

A late flurry of carding by the referee added salt into the wound. Stefani Miglioranzi was booked for a foul on Kevin Amankwaah, whilst Terry Skiverton joined him minutes later, but Yeovil's game finally imploded with a moment of madness from Efetobore Sodje. Having tangled with Rory Fallon close to his own penalty area, an enraged Sodje confronted referee Walton pointing to his face - apparently pointing out some spittle he claimed had been delivered by Fallon. Walton presumably did not see the incident happen, and ignored Sodje's protests but 60 seconds later, Sodje stupidly took the law into his own hands, delivering a slap to Fallon that was spotted by Walton resulting in an inevitable red card.

Rather improbably, the second Sodje left the field, a Nathan Jones corner that the defender was heading up field to join at the time of his dismissal, saw Terry SKIVERTON score with a header to pull the game back to 3-2. As Swindon panicked Matt Harrold almost equalised from close range in a 50:50 challenge on keeper Tom Heaton but the ball squirmed wide of the post. Then Bastianini almost provided a goal when he squirmed through the Swindon back line forcing Heaton into another parried save.

But Sodje's loss at the back and the wide open spaces granted by the likes of Skivo and Milesy pushing up attempting to force the equaliser saw Swindon finally clinch the points when Christian ROBERTS received the ball down the channel and as he ran onto it, he accepted a ricochet off Chris Weale who had raced out of his goal and at the second attempt slotted the ball into an empty net. Finally, it was game over for Yeovil as error after error cost them dear.

A compelling match therefore left Yeovil still looking for their first win, but after a bright start, they hit the self-destruct button with a series of sloppy second half errors. Overall, the Glovers didn't play as bad as the scoreline might suggest and could even have nicked a point at the end, but when you make that many individual errors, you are going to get punished and from that point of view they couldn't have too many complaints at coming home pointless.

Badger

MOTM Vote Result:

Overall match rating: 6.3 / 10
Performance: 5.4
Entertainment: 7.4

19 votes received.

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