Swindon Town remain in search of their first away win of the campaign after a second-half own-goal earned them a 1-1 draw at Tranmere Rovers.
Despite an encouraging start in which Swindon caused Tranmere early promise, the hosts were able to ride it out before Kristian Dennis fired them into a halftime lead.
Another early statement of intent after the break was rewarded as Chris Merrie put through his own net from a corner to earn a point.
The draw means that Swindon remain out of the bottom two this evening, along with results elsewhere, but their last win on the road remains in April.
Mark Kennedy opted for two changes from Port Vale as Jeff King returned to the starting line-up after missing Saturday due to compassionate leave with Harrison Minturn missing out. There was also an eye-catching switch in goal as Norwich City loanee Dan Barden was favoured ahead of Jack Bycroft for the first time in the league.
Following doom, gloom, and a couple of boos from the last few days, Swindon started with the intent that Will Wright and Tunmise Sobowale had talked about pre-match. Within five minutes they had already threatened more often than during 90 at Vale Park.
First, a succession of long throws ended with Town baiting Tranmere with a short one and Joel Cotterill sending in a menacing cross to the far post that had to be flicked behind with Aaron Drinan lurking at the back post.
A few more crosses into the middle were causing some defensive panics and as Town pushed forward, Wright spotted an eye of the needle to thread a pass through into Drinan. He looked to turn on the edge of the box, but some touch-tight defending meant he had to set up Sobowale for a blocked effort.
The best chance came on a swift move through the Tranmere half as the ball was worked out to George Cox. He drilled a low ball into Drinan, who flicked over at the near post.
Before anyone could question if this was indeed the same Swindon they had seen in Staffordshire three days ago, there was a reminder as Omari Patrick charged into space on the right to cut a low ball across the box which Dennis fired over the top when it looked easier to score.
And it was the direct running of Tranmere which saw them ahead after 17 minutes when Harvey Saunders ran in behind, and attempted to round Barden only for the colossal arm of the goalkeeper to deny him. But the ball fell for Dennis and the veteran goal scorer fired into the net as Sobowale tried to scramble back.
Kennedy’s night was further complicated when King had to come off injured before the half-hour mark, with Joel McGregor replacing him.
After that rejuvenation we saw in the opening 15 minutes, Swindon had fallen away and weren’t creating chances with the same reckless abandon. Town were falling into the turgid Venus flytrap of Tranmere, whose frugal use of goals had seen them take maximum points every time they had found the net this season.
They never really recaptured that sense of flow as the halftime whistle blew. Try as they might to pass their way back into the zone, Tranmere were able hold them at arm’s length.
The hosts had plainly chosen to protect what they had after the break and Swindon were finding some holes. Work down the right was consistently freeing up Danny Butterworth and Cox down the left with some incisive passing.
As Town again worked it down the right, McGregor chose to drive from out to in and cut a hole through Tranmere before finding Kabongo Tshimanga, only for him to blaze an effort over the bar from inside the area.
But after Kennedy asked for some luck last week, he got it in a big way after 54 minutes when George Cox’s low corner into the near post was met with a bullet header from Merrie that flew into his own net.
The goal forced the hosts to push up again as their strategy had not paid off but this largely exposed the lack of bite in both sides as true openings at both ends were few and far between.
The best opportunities for Swindon came in a quick flurry as first Cotterill tried his luck from way downtown and it was a great effort that had Luke McGee sprawling down to his bottom corner to parry it behind. From that corner, Gavin Kilkenny curled a ball into the near post for substitute Paul Glatzel who glanced into the side netting.
McGregor was a consistent danger and crosses were finding red shirts in the middle but all of their efforts ended up closer to Anfield than the back of the Prenton Park net. The moments did arrive for maximum points only for them to slip through Wiltshire fingers.
TRFC starting XI: McGee, Davies, Turnbull, Hendry, Dennis, Merrie, Jennings, Saunders, O’Connor, Wood, Patrick.
TRFC substitutes: Murphy, Norman, Bradshaw, Morris, Davison, Taylor, Solomon.
STFC starting XI: Barden, Sobowale, Wright, Cotterill, King, Kilkenny, Freckleton, Tshimanga, Butterworth, Drinan, Cox.
STFC substitutes: Bycroft, Ofoborh, Glatzel, McGurk, Cain, Minturn, McGregor.
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