Not so ghoulish…
It’s Friday, so it must be time for the latest weekly review by BBC Devon’s Vic Morgan.
A really busy week this wasn’t it? A home game, an FA Cup draw and an excellent away win. It all meant for plenty of interest for any Swindon Town fan.
The way things went it also meant the week of Halloween turned out not to have many scary surprises. Except perhaps the defending in the home encounter with Colchester.
Following on from the late horror show against Rochdale it was hoped that the same spirit of abandonment would not haunt the Town penalty area. Sadly though it did. I must confess I didn’t find the match that exciting. Even when top scorer Michael Smith eased into double figures there was a kind of hush around the ground. Can’t explain it but the whole occasion felt a little flat. Maybe the team’s recent dip in form affected the crowd. Still spirits were to rise later in the week.
To the FA Cup first round then. A local derby against a team we’ve somewhat struggled against since their promotion to the Football League. Cheltenham will be the hosts a week on Saturday. The ghosts of visits past to Whaddon Road linger in the minds of many Swindon fans. Added to that, the Town’s recent form in the world’s oldest cup competition and it makes for a nervous build up.
There’s also some controversy about the prices for the tie. It’s being counted as a premium game and I’ve seen many fans on social media say they’re not going because of the cost. It’s a difficult one. I can understand that Cheltenham will want to make the most of a match against local opponents and I’m guessing that their costs for the fixture will be quite big, Police bills etc. l can also understand the frustration of fans who simply cannot justify paying out a lot of money to attend the fixture. At least it’s not far to travel, even from Devon.
And so to Chesterfield. A strange end-to-end game which brought another superb three points for the Town and put them right back in the frame. Third place in League One is a great position to be in at this stage of the campaign and that having suffered that slight loss of form. It was a win at a very impressive stadium.
The new Spireites ground is very good with an immaculate playing surface. It’s a perfect venue for the level of football the club plays at. That pitch allowed Swindon to move the ball around superbly on a soaking wet night. Nathan Thompson’s return after suspension was inspirational, Nathan Byrne was terrific and Wes Foderingham also came up with a fantastic early save.
No frights then and the defensive nightmare was over. A clean sheet and three well taken goals. Definitely a case of saints not sinners.
Back in action on Saturday in a crucial match at fellow promotion seekers MK Dons. Let’s hope the Dons don’t stand a ghost of a chance.
Keep it loud, keep it proud, keep it SWINDON!
The Washbag 