by Swindon Town won their first away game of the season on Saturday with a huge effort to win 2-0 at promoted Barrow AFC.
Town were very unfamiliar at the break as Williams Kokolo and Paul Glatzel hit the back of the net after Barrow had missed a good chance.
Barrow did their best to find a way back into the game after the break, but Town held on and came away with three big points.
Swindon won their first away game of the year to ensure mathematical safety for another season in League Two.
Gavin Gunning has chosen three changes from the side that beat Sutton United on Easter Monday. Frazer Blake-Tracy returned from injury along with Jake Cain and George McEachran as the 33-year-old opted for a more solid midfield trio.
Swindon had a positive opening with plenty of purposeful moves, the best of which saw Aaron Drinan break into the box and tee up Glatzel, but he couldn’t hold himself close enough and shot over the bar.
In the sixth minute, Dom Telford received the ball on the edge of the area and hit a dangerous effort that went narrowly wide of the target.
After this chance the hosts began to put their stamp on proceedings and forced Swindon a little deeper, with various set pieces being sent into the penalty area.
Barrow were almost gifted a goal when Conor McCarthy let the ball roll over his feet with Jack Bycroft squared off. Telford chases the defender to get the ball first and with the goal at his mercy right next to him, he can’t turn home.
In the 21st minute, it was the Bluebirds’ turn when Jake Cain took a sloppy pass. He wasted no time threading Glatzel through the goal and tried to steer a shot into the corner, but Paul Farman stayed big and did well to deny him.
This came with a frantic period that saw huge opportunities on both sides as first Cole Stockton had the ball in the back of the net but it was offside and then Swindon were three against two, but Kokolo failed to pick out a teammate.
That reached a crescendo as Barrow found themselves in the area and a next door scramble saw Udoka Godwin-Malife shoot on the line, but pinged back into the middle for another effort that beat Bycroft’s desperate diving arm.
Town then took the lead after 35 minutes as a neat move saw Drinan, Glatzel, and McEachran link up on the edge of the area before it was laid out for Williams Kokolo to curl a shot past Farman for his first Swindon goal.
Just as the first half went into extra time, they doubled their lead when Glatzel ran over the goal line and jinked free from James Chester before finishing beyond Farman to net for the fourth straight game.
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Pete Wild made a triple change at the break and switched to a 343 formation to try and chase the game. Coming quickly out of the traps and putting Town under pressure with a barrage of long balls.
Warren Feely made a great run up the left, only to take on the challenges of three defenders before finding a cross for Tyrell Warren, but the ball was just gone.
Shortly after a ball into the middle found the head Emile Acquah, but Bycroft was able to deny him.
Kokolo almost turned provider as he struggled to escape his marker on the touchline and fell down the side of the box. Drinan pulled away nicely and got the cut back, but his control allowed Farman to come flying out and make the save.
James Chester took a Barrow corner in the middle and Bycroft managed to get something on it and as Acquah and Cole Stockton tried to get something on the rebound, the assistant referee raised his flag to stop it. add them.
The hosts were really knocking on the door around the hour mark as Udoka Godwin-Malife first had to make a save to stop Stokcton getting a shot in the box and quickly after for Bycroft to make a fine save to cut Telford from the top of the box. Swindon were ahead but far from comfortable.
Town continued to offer a threat of their own as a corner from Cain was defended by Drinan to see it through to Blake-Tracy, but a crowd of bodies blocked his effort in front of goal.
The Bluebirds did everything they could to get back into the game, but in a game where Swindon were in the unknown, they were steady at the back.
BAFC starting XI: Farman, Ray, Worrall, Spence, White, Gotts, Chester, Telford, Stockton, Feely, Whitfield.
BAFC representatives: Lillis, Proctor, Newby, Foley, Acquah, Warren.
STFC starting XI: Bycroft, Blake-Tracy, McEachran, Elbouzedi, Glatzel, Cain, Kokolo, Godwin-Malife, Drinan, McCarthy, Ofoborh.
STFC Representatives: Brann, McKirdy, Brewitt, McGurk, Aguiar, Austin, McGregor.
Attendance: 3,502 (220 away).
