<b>Full time Saturday January 19th </b> (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Full time Saturday January 19th

7:36pm Saturday 19th January 2008

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Match report from the County Ground, Swindon

Coca Cola League One

Fulltime Swindon Town 2 Nottingham Forest 1

Conditions didn't look encouraging as both sides took to the pitch this afternoon, but football was the winner as Swindon Town and Nottingham Forest fought out a battle tough battle against each other and the weather.

Hasney Aljofree was back from suspension for Swindon and Lee Peacock overcame a hamstring pull to start. New signings Moses Ashikodi and Anthony McNamee were named on the bench as new manager Maurice Malpas ran the rule over his new squad.

Nathan Tyson started on the bench for Forest manager Colin Calderwood.

In difficult conditions even the music refuse to play before kick off at the County Ground. Town midfielder Craig Easton fired well wide on five minutes and on nine minutes Miguel Comminges' throw was headed on by Lee Peacock, but an offside flag made Billy Paynter's shot irrelevant.

After 12 minutes, Comminges then produced successive crosses that saw Forest's defence scramble clear, before Paynter glanced a Sofiene Zaaboub ball from the other wing just wide of the far post. Swindon were forcing the pace and pressurising their highly regarded opponents.

On 22 minutes Paynter almost chased down a ball that had left him one-on-one with the visitors' goalkeeper Paul Smith and five minutes later Zaaboub made a fine run and pass to Blair Sturrock, whose well placed ball to Paynter saw the striker's shot blocked by the feet of Smith.

In a rare Forest foray, Brezovan slid to his right to claim a tame attempt from Cohen, but Town continued to enjoy almost all of the territorial advantage.

Zaaboub tried an audacious chip from the edge of the box that Smith claimed from under his bar, then Panyter had the best chance so far beaten away at Smith's left hand post.

But ten minutes before the break came the first important action.

Miguel Comminges, Sturrock and Zaaboub combined well, and when Jamie Vincent's cross from the left was blocked by a hand, referee Mike Thorpe awarded a free kick on the edge of Forest's box. From Jon-Paul McGovern's dead ball, panic in the visitors' penalty area ended with the ball powered past Smith by Forest defender James Perch on the far post to give Town the lead.

Five minutes later Sturrock released McGovern, and his well weighted pass to the overlapping Comminges was knocked away by a relieved keeper.

As half time approached, Town continued to pass the ball well on the sort of awkward pitch that made well-timed challenges imperative, and the home side left for the dressing room with appreciative applause ringing in the ears.

Halftime Swindon Town 1 Nottingham Forest 0

Within two minutes of the restart, Paynter appeared to be impeded 35 yards from goal, but he shrugged off the challenge to fire an unstoppable 25-yard shot into Smith' stop left hand corner, only for Thorpe to call play back and award Town a free-kick which Lee Peacock wasted.

Then farce ensued when Perch slide in on Brezovan's goal, and while the ball ran loose, the Forest defender ended entangled in the net.

An Easton shot was palmed away as Town continued to look the most accomplished side, then it was Peacock's turn to shoot powerfully over the bar as the rain restarted and beat into the faces of Malpas' team.

With Swindon claiming so much of the game, danger would always threaten from a sucker punch, and on 63 minutes, Town suffered just that.

A deep left hand corner from Forest's left wing was allowed to travel unchallenged to the far post where Luke Chambers headed home in front of the away sides' rain soaked supporters.

A minute later, and it was the pitch that saved Colin Calderwood's side going behind once more, the mud holding up a goal-bound effort long enough for Forest to hack it clear.

So happy with the outcome was one of the track-suited Forest substitutes warming up in front of the Town End, that a yellow card was waved for inciting the crowd, then the game burst into drama again when Comminges and Grant Holt both earned yellows after an altercation that brought a huge melee of angry players.

Passions were running high as both teams took risks in the tricky conditions.

Chris Cohen rasped a 35-yard shot past Brezovan's right hand post on 75 minutes and at the other end Sturrock twisted to get a near post header on target before the ex-Town manager's son was replaced by debutant Moses Ashikodi. The switch produced almost instant dividends.

It was the big striker's mazy run on 83 minutes that culminated in a ball to the running McGovern on the right. His whipped-in cross was turned into his own net by defender Ian Breckin to gift Swindon the lead once more and make Own Goal the games' top scorer.

With four minutes to go and to the relief of Swindon fans, Holt took too long to pull the trigger having been put clean through, then substitute Nathan Tyson was dispossessed in the box by the immense Jerel Ifil, leaving the Forest supporters screaming for a penalty.

As the board went up to show three added minutes, Easton has a shot charged down, then Vincent came to Swindon's rescue, knocking a Tyson ball away at the other end.

The final whistle was greeted by relieved and ecstatic Town fans, who had witnessed their side out battle both their illustrious opponents and the terrible weather conditions.

Fulltime Swindon Town 2 Nottingham Forest 1

Swindon Town: Peter Brezovan, Miguel Comminges (y66), Jerel Ifil, Hasney Aljofree, Jamie Vincent, Jon-Paul McGovern, Lee Peacock, Craig Easton, Sofiene Zaaboub, Billy Paynter, Blair Sturrock (Ashikodi 77, y90+1). Subs: Christian Roberts, Andrew Nicholas, Michael Pook, Moses Ashikodi , Anthony McNamee

Nottingham Forest: Paul Smith, Luke Chambers, Ian Breckin, Wes Morgan, Matt Lockwood (Wilson 82), Kris Commons (Tyson 53 y87), Lewis McGugan, James Perch, Arron Davies, Grant Holt (y66), Chris Cohen. Subs: Dale Roberts, Kelvin Wilson, Nathan Tyson, Neil Lennon, Julian Bennett

Attendance: 9,815

Referee: Mike Thorpe

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