THE FULL REPORT: Town finish to perfection

Three weeks ago, Marc Richards was the man to claim a similar last-gasp winning goal in another nerve-shredding triumph at the Energy Check County Ground against Crewe Alexandra.

That game kicked off a relentless run of seven matches in 22 days for Town in the sternest examination possible of their promotion aspirations.

The legs of the Swindon players may be weary but their heads should be held high.

That brutal schedule has yielded 13 points and David Flitcroft’s side come out it the other side sitting nicely in the play-off places in sixth in the table, five points outside the automatic promotion spots.

Along the way they have faced four promotion rivals in successive matches – most recently second-placed Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday night.

Town were on the receiving end of a gut-wrenching result at Adams Park themselves as they conceded late on to fall to a 3-2 defeat.

Richards is congratulated on his brace by David Flitcroft

Even without their recent energy-sapping programme, that result would no doubt have been a bitter blow to swallow for the Swindon players.

So it is to their enormous credit that they were able to dig as deep as they did against the Valiants to ensure the shoe was on the other foot this time around.

With that much mileage in the tank, it was little surprise that Town turned in somewhat of a flat performance and lapse defending at either end allowed the two teams to share four goals between them in the first half.

Neither then looked like being able to grab winner after the restart in a contest devoid of real quality for large periods.

Kaiyne Woolery looks to keep hold of the ball

That was until two minutes before the end of the regulation 90 when Mullin’s sublime close-range finish looped over Vale keeper Ryan Boot to snatch the points for the home side.

Michael Tonge fired Vale ahead early on after a free-kick was not dealt with before Richards struck twice to turn the game in Town’s favour Swindon were undone by another set-piece in the final minute of the first half, however, as Cristian Montano headed home from a corner and it looked like finishing all-square until Mullin’s late intervention.

Town boss Flitcroft made one change to the team from the midweek defeat at Wycombe as Chris Robertson came into the back three in place of Olly Lancashire.

The club captain was not even on the bench due to his long-standing ankle injury, with the home side only able to name six substitutes.

Port Vale tried to get their hands on striker Luke Norris 

Vale had the ball in the back of the net as early as the fourth minute when Nathan Smith smashed the ball past home keeper Reice Charles-Cook from six yards but the centre-back had strayed offside to meet Tonge’s deep free-kick in.

Luke Norris then had Swindon’s first effort of note as he lashed across the face goal and wide after a Matt Taylor corner was not deal with by the visiting defence.

Set-pieces seemed the order of the day and one led to the opening goal as Vale broke the deadlock after 11 minutes.

Ben Purkiss knocked over Tom Pope midway inside the Town half and the big Vale striker then headed Smith’s free-kick back across goal where Tonge arrived to crash it over the line.

The Town players call on for some treatment after Kyle Knoyle is left in a heap on the floor

A defensive mishap from Kyle Howkins almost allowed Town an instant reply as he made a hash of clearing a low Taylor cross but Richards ha little time to react and cracked his shot over the top.

However, Swindon did get themselves level after 24 minutes when Norris spotted acres of space on the left and pumped the ball in for the advancing Taylor to collect and float into the box where Richards met it with a perfectly-placed header into the bottom corner of the net from 12 yards.

The home side were then appealing for a penalty shortly afterwards when Richards went down in the box under pressure from Howkins but referee Andy Woolmer was not interested.

Swindon continued to boss play but had few clear-cut chances until they were gift-wrapped the lead five minutes before the break.

Richards got Town's opening two goal at the County Ground 

Vale keeper Boot cannoned a clearance straight into Howkins and the ball rolled to Norris in acres of space just outside the box. Unselfishly, he laid off into the path of Richards to fire home his second of the day.

However, the home side could not hold on until the break as they were undone by another set-piece in the final minute of the half.

A Tonge corner was not dealt with and Montano climbed highest to head home and make it all-square at the break.

The Swindon defence were almost exposed again as the second half began and they were grateful to a sublime block by Ollie Banks just as the ball looked to fall to the unmarked Danny Pugh in the box.

Vale should have got their noses in front from the ensuing corner as Joe Davis climbed to meet Tonge’s ball in but headed over from six yards.

At the other end, Boot got down well to smother a 25-yard Timi Elsnik strike before Town missed a gilt-edged chance themselves to get in front.

Mstch-winner Paul Mullin

Norris was bundled over by Davis midway inside the Vale half and Robertson headed down Taylor’s free-kick into the path of Banks but he could not adjust his body in time and blazed high over the bar.

Town boss Flitcroft rolled the dice with a double substitution just after the hour mark, replacing Elsnik and Norris with James Dunne and Kaiyne Woolery, and the latter almost had an instant impact as his quick feet fashioned a shooting chance in the box but Boot saved well to his left.

After a breathless 20 minutes, all quality then dropped out of the game and neither side saw a clear sight of goal until Mullin replaced Keshi Anderson with 10 minutes to go.

With the contest seemingly set to end in a draw, that all changed with just two minutes to go when Banks played a deep ball into the box. Kyle Knoyle was able to head back across goal and Mullin got there ahead of Smith to flick a boot the ball and divert it past Boot into the net for the winner.