Form… Swindon travel to Essex for an FA Cup 2nd Round tie versus Colchester United this Saturday.

Currently 6th placed in League Two, Swindon are unbeaten in 11 League and Cup games, a run stretching back to a JPT win at Exeter on 4th October. That run includes the memorable 4-1 demolition of Football League record unbeaten side Huddersfield Town in the 1st Round two weeks ago. Also, this run has seen only 7 goals conceded, including 6 clean sheets.

Meanwhile Colchester sit mid table in League One with 1 win, 2 draws and 3 defeats from their previous 6 League outings. The ‘U’s’ are winless in their past 2 League One games – a 5-1 thrashing at home by MK Dons and a 1-0 defeat at Carlisle – following their impressive 4-1 victory at Gresty Road against ten man Crewe in the 1st Round a few weeks back.

Did You Know… The last time we did 11 games unbeaten was at the start of 2009/10 – from August 11 (4-1 win at Franchise in the cup) through to a home draw with Millwall on October 10. We ended up playing 14 games undefeated in that run. Richard at Swindon-Town-FC.co.uk confirms a run of eleven unbeaten is pretty common, Swindon have done it 19 times already.

The club record is 22 unbeaten in all competitions, secured in 1986 by Lou Macari, from February 1 through to August 26, next best is 16 from April 27 thru Sept 25, 1963 under Bert Head.

Swindon-Town-FC.co.uk Head-to-Head… In the 69 Football League and Cup matches between the sides, Swindon have won 27 games, drawn 15 and defeated on 25 occasions, scoring 95 and conceding 90.

The sides have never met in the FA Cup, however top Swindon non-league side Swindon Supermarine travelled to Colchester in their amazing FA Cup run last season, eventually succumb to a narrow 1-0 defeat at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Our record in Colchester is woeful. Of 35 matches we’ve won 8, drawn 7 and lost 20, scoring 32 and conceding 56. Swindon have never won in Colchester in two previous cup ties – a 0-1 defeat in the JPT in 2001 and 1-4 defeat in the 1971 League Cup.

Swindon FA Cup Record… Swindon have played 332 matches in the FA Cup, winning 165, drawing 53 and defeated on 114 occasions.

In those 331 matches 652 goals have been scored and 466 conceded.

Four of our biggest ever victories have come in the FA Cup including; 10-1 over Farnham United Breweries in November 1925, 9-0 over Maidenhead United in 1890, 9-0 over Poole in 1903 and another 9-0 against Whiteheads in 1902.

Swindon’s best performance in the FA Cup was a semi-final appearance in 1910 and 1912.

In modern times, Town have made the Quarter Final on two occasions in 1923/24 and 1969/70.

Since that Quarter Final in 1969/70, Swindon have been defeated in the 1st Round 5 times, 2nd Round 5 times, 3rd Round 16 times, 4th Round 13 times and twice in the 5th Round in 1991/92 and 1995/96.

Of those 41 seasons, Swindon have failed to progress beyond their first tie on 15 occasions. Town had their worst barren run of failing to win an FA Cup match for 4 seasons between 1996/97 and 1999/00 under Steve McMahon and Jimmy Quinn.

Swindon have not made it past the 3rd Round since that run to a 5th Round tie with Southampton and eventual replay defeat in 1995/96 as a Division Two side.

Since that run to the 5th Round, Town have been knocked out in the 3rd Round by Everton, Stevenage, Barnsley, Charlton Athletic, Coventry City, Manchester City, Crystal Palace, Barnet and Fulham.

My prediction… Colchester aren’t as good as the Terriers in League One…so this one should be straightforward….perhaps not given our poor record in Essex having lost our previous 4 games at Colchester. Even still, Swindon will be progressing to Round 3 and I’d say thanks to a 2-0 victory.