Sean Morrison scored his first professional goal as Swindon claimed their first back-to-back wins of the season with a comfortable victory over high-flying Oldham.

The 17-year-old centre-back broke the deadlock in the 26th minute with a clinical one-on-one finish that any striker would have been proud of, before Jack Smith’s cool 34th minute penalty made sure of the points.

It was the workmanlike Robins’ second win in a week at the County Ground after their midweek success over Northampton, as under-fire Town manager Maurice Malpas answered his critics in the best possible fashion.

Swindon even managed to bag their first clean sheet of the season in the process, as they condemned the Latics to their second successive defeat.

Oldham looked the better team early on and Brett Ormerod planted a 12-yard free header wide from Neal Eardley’s cross in the third minute, after Town goalkeeper Peter Brezovan’s poor clearance had set up the chance.

Latics midfielder Chris Taylor twice went close when first his fierce 25-yard drive was well held by the diving Brezovan and then the winger was denied by a terrific last-ditch tackle from Smith four yards out, after Lee Hughes had flicked on Mark Allott’s cross at the near post.

But Swindon settled into their stride and after the unmarked Billy Paynter had headed Anthony McNamee’s in-swinging corner straight at Oldham goalkeeper Mark Crossley from nine yards, Morrison put the Robins ahead in the 26th minute.

Morrison stayed up field following a corner and after Simon Cox had cleverly slipped the centre-half clean through, he made no mistake with a composed low angled finish inside the far post from ten yards.

Town were now brimming with confidence and Paynter’s far post header from Micahel Timlin’s cross was well saved by Crossley, before Smith them 2-0 up from the penalty spot in the 34th minute.

Jon-Paul McGovern’s deep cross was handled in the box by Hughes under pressure from Hasney Aljofree, and Smith stepped up to coolly send Crossley the wrong way for his second goal of the season.

Oldham striker Hughes should have made amends five minutes before the break but after bursting clean through, he blazed his shot wildly over the bar left-footed from 12 yards.

Danny Whitaker then had a close-range strike ruled out for offside for the Latics before Paynter’s 12-yard header from McGovern’s cross shaved the post at the other end on the stroke of half-time.

Town burst out of the blocks after the break and Cox fired agonisingly wide of the post from 16 yards with Crossley well beaten four minutes after the re-start.

The lively Cox then turned Oldham centre-back Rueben Hazell on the edge of the box but his cheeky lob hit the post with Crossley caught in no man’s land on the hour mark.

Substitute Craig Davies blew a golden opportunity to pull a goal back for the Latics on the counter-attack when he raced clean through after a defensive slip but poked the ball wide of the post as Brezovan rushed out to close him down.

But Town continued to threaten and Crossley had to produce a double save to keep out Paynter’s far post header from McGovern’s corner and then Aljofree’s right foot strike from the rebound in the 73rd minute.

Chances were few and far between in the closing stages as the Robins stayed strong to bag their first clean sheet of the season.

Swindon Town: Brezovan, J Smith, Timlin, Aljofree (c), McGovern, McNamee, Pook, Paynter (Corr 76), Morrison, Cox, Peacock. Subs: P Smith, Easton, Corr, Amankwaah, Nalis.

Oldham Athletic: Crossley, Eardley, Whittaker, Allott (booked 67) (Maher 81), Hughes, Hazell, Gregan (c), Taylor, Jones, Liddell (Smalley 63), Ormerod (booked 52) (Davies 63). Subs: Davies, Lomax, Fleming, Maher, Smalley.

Referee: G D Horwood.

Attendance: 6,904.