SWINDON wrapped up their preparations for the new season as they turned in a creditable display in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Liverpool.

The game was played at a sun-drenched County Ground in front of 14,591 fans and it was 18-year-old substitute Seyi Ojo who proved to be the difference.

After keeping pace with the Premier League club for 45 minutes, it took less than two minutes of the second half before £32.5 million summer signing Christian Benteke got off the mark.

However Swindon hauled themselves back level when Jon Obika struck just after the hour mark, when he curled an effort into the top corner from inside the box.

Swindon were dealt a harsh blow in the dying minutes, when Ojo’s strike looked to have been stopped by Liverpool trialist Lawrence Vigouroux, before bouncing over the line.

Despite having overseen his team in Helsinki the night before, Brendan Rodgers was on the sideline in the sunshine to oversee a strong Liverpool side.

New acquisitions Benteke and Roberto Firminio led the line for the Premiership outfit, with Lucas, Mamadou Sakho and Lazar Markovic all in the starting line-up.

Swindon opted for a 4-3-3 formation to start their final friendly, with Jordan Turnbull starting in the heart of defence alongside Liverpool loanee Jordan Williams.

Firmino gave the hosts the first scare of the game three minutes in when he beat the offside trap, and, despite a heavy touch, Vigouroux was slow off his line and just got to the ball ahead of the Brazilian.

In the ninth minute Lucas broke through again before pulling the ball back to Joe Allen whose shot struck Turnbull in the six-yard-box, before he was forced off injured.

The hosts had a fair shout for a penalty when Nathan Thompson wriggled his way into the box before hitting the deck after a clumsy challenge from substitute JoaoTeixeira.

Vigouroux was again called into action in the 19th minute when Turnbull was forced off the ball by Firminio before cutting the ball back to Benteke, but the Belgian was denied his first goal in a Liverpool shirt by the acrobatics of Vigouroux.

Jermaine Hylton was the first to test the gloves of Liverpool stopper Adam Bogdan when he skipped inside his man on the right of the box before letting fly, but it was comfortable for the Hungarian.

Drissa Traore was forced off just past the half hour mark after pulling up with nobody around him and was replaced by recently signed Fabien Robert.

Liverpool continued to press as the half progressed as a combination of Vigouroux and some poor decision making from the Liverpool forwards combined to keep the scores level at half-time.

The same 22 re-started the second half and it took just two minutes and 40 seconds before Benteke got off the mark.

After controlling the ball on the chest on the edge of the box, he turned and hit the ball on the volley with his right foot to leave Vigouroux with no chance, to the joy of the thousands of Liverpool fans dotted around the County Ground.

Benteke had another chance moments later when Hylton’s attempted tackle fell nicely into the path of Markovic whose pull back was just behind the 24-year-old whose could not keep his effort under the bar.

It was Obika who had Swindon back on level terms in the 63rd minute as Anton Rodgers, who had recently come on for Kevin Stewart, pushed the ball out wide to him.

The 24-year-old shifted the ball inside before curling a peach into the top left corner, beyond an outstretched Bogdan.

Swindon fans were then treated to a cameo from loan target Ryan Kent as he exhibited his skills with the ball at his feet, and had the shout for a penalty when he was Kent then set up a chance for Alberto Moreno when he flicked the ball up to Spanish full-back in the box but Ormonde-Ottewille reacted quickly to clear the ball that was bouncing dangerously in the six-yard box.

Liverpool regained the lead with a bizarre goal from Liverpool substitute Ojo struck a fierce shot from the edge of the box.

Vigouroux was able to get a palm to the ball, but rather than steering the ball around the post the ball went skywards before dropping cruelly into the net.

SWINDON TOWN: Vigouroux, Thompson (Eckersley 55’), Ormonde-Ottewill (Brophy 80’), Williams (Barry 87’), Turnbull (Branco 62’), Traore (Robert 33’), Kasim (Balmy 84’), Byrne (Whittingham 80’), Stewart (Rodgers 55’), Obika (Cooke 84’), Hylton (Dayton 73’).

Unused substitutes: Belford, Randall, Marshall.

LIVERPOOL: Bogdan (Fulton 67’), Alexander-Arnold (Cleary 58’), Moreno, Toure, Sakho, Lucas, Markovic, Can (Chirivella 76’), Benteke (Ojo 67’), Allen (Teixeira 13’), Firmino (Kent 67’)

Unused substitutes: Maguire