SWINDON Town manager David Flitcroft believed his side’s ability to silence the Mansfield Town fans played a key part in their superb 3-1 win on the road in League Two today.

The promotion-tipped Stags had not previously lost a league game on home soil during 2017-18 but Swindon tested the nerves of the One Call Stadium faithful inside four minutes when Amine Linganzi broke the deadlock.

After the ideal start, Swindon hit their hosts with another body blow just before the break when John Goddard doubled the lead and the game was all but won within 10 minutes of the restart when Luke Norris made it 3-0 from the penalty spot after Keshi Anderson was pulled down by Krystian Pearce.

Although Danny Rose bagged a stoppage time consolation for Mansfield, Flitcroft felt Swindon got their goals at the perfect time to sap the Stags’ spirits and allow them to make it five away wins from seven matches in the league this season.

“This is a tough place to come. They have assembled a fantastic squad and they have won a lot of football matches here, there is an energy around the place that you have got to thwart,” said Flitcroft.

“The fans were buoyant and were up for it before the game and were up for it during the first 20 minutes.

“We had to come here and be battle hardened and resilient and we knew if we stayed in the game, we’d be able to open them up, and we had a couple of other chances to go even further in front.

“We got goals at important times. The penalty is one million per cent a penalty. When a player gets in a bad defensive position, he has to do something about it, which he did, and he pulled him down.

“I think that killed their energy and momentum to get back in the game.

“You’d expect a Steve Evans team to get a good rollicking at half-time and they came out and posed a threat.

“The timing of that third goal was really important in how the outcome of the game ended. It is a fantastic result.”

With Mansfield having been able to boast such a strong home record, Flitcroft was pleased with his side’s defensive resolve as they limited the home side to a handful of chances.

And the Swindon boss was equally impressed by what he saw at the other end of the pitch, with Goddard and Paul Mullin coming in for particular praise after their recalls to the starting XI.

“You want to get the defensive structure of the team right and it has been over the last four or five weeks,” said Flitcroft.

“I thought we looked potent in attack and we retained the ball really well. Johnny G being in the team helps that, he is a fantastic footballer.

“Mulls has had a bit of a rest and been out of the team and I thought he was back to his energetic enthusiastic best. He looked sharp and really motivated to upset and spoil their defence and he did.”