FOOTBALL never fails to surprise you.

It doesn’t matter how many games you have seen, or how well you think you know a particular team – matches rarely pan out how you’d think.

In the words of head coach Luke Williams, Swindon Town’s confidence was waning ahead of their clash away at Oldham Athletic on Saturday, with them making the troublesome trip north up the treacherous M6 on the back of three straight defeats in League One.

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald:

Jonathan Obika celebrating with teammates after giving Town the lead

Add in the fact they were playing a side similarly languishing towards the wrong end of the table but still able to boast one of the meanest defences in the country, then another uninspiring encounter looked on the cards.

Maybe the best Town could hope for would be to dig in as best they could and try to head back home with a goalless draw.

But what unfolded at Boundary Park was far from lethargic; in fact, Swindon’s performance was almost a thing of beauty and probably their best of the season.

They simply ran Oldham ragged and looked dangerous almost every time they got their foot on the ball. Had their final 2-0 victory been doubled at the minimum, then the Latics could not have complained.

It is occasions like this that make you scratch your head as to why Williams’ side found themselves in the recent predicament they were in, rather than fighting it out near the top of the table.

However, it should be noted that as good as Town were in Greater Manchester, Oldham were equally poor.

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald:

Nathan Delfouneso tries to get away from his marker

Both of Swindon’s goals came gift-wrapped by the home defence, with first, Jonathan Obika was allowed acres of time and space in the penalty area to stroke home a lovely curling left-foot finish for the opener in the first half.

Then, Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill was permitted not one but two touches inside the six-yard box to control a cross before smashing home the visitors’ second goal 10 minutes after the restart.

But let’s not take anything away from Town and hope this result draws a line under a sticky spell and is the catalyst for charge up towards their more rightful place at the business end of the table.

Swindon boss Williams made two changes to the side that were beaten in heart-breaking fashion at home by Bristol Rovers in midweek, both enforced due to either illness or injury.

James Brophy was withdrawn at half-time against the Gas after feeling unwell and had not recovered in time to make the trip to Boundary Park, with Ormonde-Ottewill recalled in his place at left wing-back.

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald:

Yaser Kasim goes up for a header

Sean Murray was another that came off worse for wear on Tuesday night and was seen limping at the end of the game. The subsequent foot injury a scan revealed ruled him out of the Latics clash and Johnny Goddard was brought into the midfield trio alongside Yaser Kasim and Conor Thomas.

With Michael Doughty, Bradley Barry, Jamie Sendles-White and Jordan Stewart already out on the sidelines, it was a youthful Town set of substitutes that sat on the Boundary Park bench, including four teenagers – Will Henry, Ellis Iandolo, Tom Smith and Jake Evans.

Town started positively and had a sight of goal inside three minutes. Nathan Delfouneso’s low cross was hacked out for a corner by Peter Clarke and Obika made a nuisance of himself when Yaser Kasim swung the ball in, with possession falling nicely for skipper Nathan Thompson but he cracked an effort over from 12 yards.

Obika then harried Charles Dunne into conceding another corner, with Kasim’s ball this time going all the way to Raphael Branco at the back post but the Brazilian’s powerful low effort flew across goal and wide.

The goal the visitors deserved arrived with 18 minutes on the clock and came at the end of a fine flowing move. Thompson carried the ball forward and fed the excellent Goddard, who picked out Obika in space in the box and the Town forward took a touch to step inside Clarke before curling the ball past Oldham goalkeeper Connor Ripley and into the bottom corner.

The half had passed its midway point before the home side had a sniff of goal, although Josh Law’s curling free-kick from 25 yards did not have Town stopper Lawrence Vigouroux worried as it sailed safely wide.

Obika was a headache for the home back-line all afternoon and a Thompson strike looped up off a defender and hung nicely in the air for the Town striker but his spectacular overhead kick was straight at Ripley.

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald:

Raphael Rossi Branco acknowledges the travelling support

Oldham began to rally and Freddie Lapado beat Branco on the left and cut the ball back to strike partner Lee Erwin in the box but Thompson got in a crucial block.

Vigouroux was called into action for the first time five minutes before the break when Erwin got in a smart shot on the turn from the edge of the box but the Town stopper got down well to save.

Town finished the half as they started it, though, and were inches from making it 2-0 two minutes before the break. Delfouneso released Ormonde-Ottewill up the left and he found Obika in the box, whose initial flicked effort was blocked but the ball came back nicely to him.

However, he could only find the side netting with a subsequent snap-shot.

Oldham made two changes at the break in an effort to turn their fortunes around and it had an instant impact as their best effort arrived within three minutes of the restart. Ollie Banks darted forward from deep and let fly from 30 yards, with the effort sailing inches wide.

Banks was leading the charge for the Latics and soon afterwards he got the ball back after taking a short corner and his whipped cross was missed by everyone and flew just wide of the back post.

Town were able to withstand the pressure and hit their hosts with a sucker-punch when they got a crucial second goal with their first attack of the second half 10 minutes after the restart.

Delfouneso darted up the left before finding Goddard with a lovely back-heel and his cross picked out Ormonde-Ottewill, who was allowed two touches by the Latics defence before smashing home from close range.

A goal-line clearance was all that prevented Town from making it 3-0 just after the hour mark as although Kasim’s corner did not beat the first man, Goddard won the ball back and whipped the ball into the box where Lloyd Jones’ strike was hooked away by Cameron Burgess.

Town had begun to lay siege to the Latics goal and Goddard fashioned two excellent openings for his team to pull further clear.

First, he fed the onrushing Ormonde-Ottewill in the box but his effort was blocked by Ripley, before Goddard then picked out Obika, who climbed highest to power a header goalwards but again the home keeper was equal to the effort.

Swindon still had to remain on their toes at the other end, though, and Vigouroux proved he still had his wits about him as he tipped Banks’ curling 25-yard free-kick around the post with his fingertips.

Kasim went close to a third Town goal with a similarly dangerous free-kick in the closing stages which Oldham keeper Ripley tipped just wide at full stretch.