AN ATMOSPHERE incomparable to what the County Ground has become accustom to in recent years helped Swindon Town break unwanted trends on Saturday, as Carlisle United were downed 3-2.

Maximum points have consequently been secured from Town’s opening two fixtures as they sit joint top of League Two in company with Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City.

But, not only that, Saturday was a day for breaking trends that have acted as a monkey on the club’s back since it started its slip ‘n slide down the Football League tiers in the mid-90s.

After recording a worst finish in league football since 1984 last season, stats of the welcome kind are instead being broken.

It wasn’t quite the 30 years of hurt that Baddiel, Skinner and the Lightning Seeds alluded to in their classic ‘Three Lions’ single.

But 13 is just as bad, right? That’s because it was 13 years ago that Swindon last recorded back-to-back victories to start their league campaign.

And what happened at the end of that 2006-07 season? Promotion. Are the stars starting to line in Swindon Town’s favour?

The answer, no – of course not. If you believe in fortune like that you’ll be as equally justified to say this season will mirror last year’s efforts.

Why? Saturday’s attendance of 7,024 matched the figure from last season’s home opener against Macclesfield.

And, of course, the scorelines are identical – in addition to the fact that Town effectively netted an injury time winner.

But looking around the ground both during and after the game, it would seem that positive vibe manager Richie Wellens has been craving is starting to become reality.

Advertising boards were thumped, strangers hugged in jubilation and Wellens offered a rare moment of post-match emotion when pumping his fist to the skies in celebration.

Amid the club’s off-field efforts to turnaround its often turbulent relationship with the fanbase, work on the pitch appears to be making huge strides too.

Yes, the pre-match fan zone had to unfortunately be cancelled due to the day’s unseasonal weather.

But that was of no concern to any Town fan after Jerry Yates, Zeki Fryers and Kaiyne Woolery upset the odds to reverse a one-goal deficit into a one-goal victory.

A mid-week trip to Colchester in the Carabao Cup may seem a little redundant to fans ahead of next Saturday’s trip to Exeter.

But could Saturday's result be the start of something quite special?

Wellens, unsurprisingly, named an unchanged squad from last week’s two-goal win at Scunthorpe – with Dion Conroy (ankle) and Mathieu Baudry (hamstring) overcoming their minor injuries.

With the wind behind them, you wouldn’t have been called a fool for presuming Town had an extra man in the game’s opening exchanges.

Michael Doughty was denied only by the crossbar with four minutes played as Town pegged United into their own half.

Twenty-three minutes had passed before Carlisle – who had stemmed Town’s early flourish – found their first opening.

They should’ve scored, in truth. An excellent fist from McCormick denied dangerman Nathan Thomas before Anderson and Yates fluffed chances at the other end with the half-hour mark now past.

An increasingly animated Wellens would’ve been pleased by his side’s counter towards the end of the first half, which forced Collin into a strong handed save from Woolery’s shot after neat build-up play from Baudry, Lyden and Anderson.

Yates’ vicious strike from outside the area on the stoke of half time was palmed behind, but that was all as the half – frustratingly – ended goalless.

Neither Wellens nor Pressley made a change at half-time, and it took some time for both teams to adapt to the increasingly windy conditions.

But try saying that to United’s dangerman Harry McKirdy. A sensational run along the left-wing chalks allowed him to burst beyond the byline and pick out a well-placed Olomola in the centre of the penalty area.

Olomola made no mistake from eight yards, beating McCormick to put United a goal up. Such was the impressive nature of McKirdy’s run, his planned switch with Canice Carroll was called off.

But before a supporter crying for success could scream forward, Town were level.

Isgrove’s smart cross from the right was flicked on by Lyden before Yates was grounded under pressure. That did little to stop the Rotherham loan signing from bundling the ball over the line – sparking scenes of sheer joy and jubilation in the Town End.

Amid celebrations, Knight-Percival and Lyden were both shown yellow cards for a post-goal altercation during which the latter fell to the floor.

Atmosphere in the ground naturally turned up a notch. And so did Town’s performance.

Doughty went close from a free-kick before Anderson’s effort on 67 minutes dribbled inches wide of Collin’s far post.

Reward wasn’t far away, though.

While the unwelcome rain returned, a delightful corner from Doughty with 20 minutes remaining found Fryers’ head - and Town were ahead.

A second dose of rain and wind returned, before former Town man Carroll was shown a straight red for a dangerous challenge on star midfielder Lyden.

With less than 10 minutes remaining, the game reached boiling point at this moment.

But Town’s ability to work under pressure paid off when Anderson’s inch-perfect through ball to Woolery made it three.

Under little pressure, Woolery righted his earlier wrongs when missing from a similar position to fool Collin one-on-one and secure three points – or so it seemed.

United substitute Mohammed Sagaf – on his Football League debut - immediately responded to Woolery’s marker and make it 3-2.

But it was too little too late, Town’s earlier work proved enough to record a second League Two win on the bounce.

Next up for Town, an away trip to unbeaten Exeter City.