Swindon Town beat Rotherham United 2-1 at the County Ground to extend their unbeaten run to four games. The victory, played in front of 7,515 fans including 406 travelling supporters, was defined by two Rotherham red cards and clinical set-piece finishes from the hosts.
Jack Thomson opened the scoring deep into first-half stoppage time, his effort taking a significant deflection to wrong-foot goalkeeper Toby Eyestone. The game's pattern was set early when Rotherham's Jili Buyabu was shown a straight red card for an elbow on Thomson after just six minutes. Swindon capitalised on the numerical advantage after the break, with substitute Joseph Hungbo curling a superb free-kick into the top corner in the 81st minute to double the lead.
Rotherham's task became even harder when Dominic Iorfa was sent off for a last-man challenge, a decision that saw Swindon manager Alex Bruce also dismissed for his protests from the touchline. "Iorfa was sent off and Alex Bruce saw red for his protestations," Bruce confirmed after the match. Despite finishing with nine men, Rotherham grabbed a late consolation through Denzel Hall after a handling error by Swindon keeper Joe Ripley.
Holloway's adjustments
Manager Ian Holloway made two changes to his starting line-up, with Stephan Negru returning from illness and Billy Kirkman replacing the injured Sam Inwood. Ollie Palmer, fit enough for the bench after a week back in training, was introduced in the second half as Swindon looked to manage the game. The hosts worked the ball wide effectively, though their play was at times predictable, with less penetration through the middle.
The three points lift Swindon to 15th in the League Two table, now on 16 points from 13 matches. Their recent form reads two wins, two draws and one loss from the last five, a sequence that includes a 3-1 away victory at Barnet. Top scorer Aaron Drinan, who has netted 22 times in 40 appearances this season, was a constant threat and was slipped through on a swift counter by Jordan Virtue, only to miss the target.
Swindon have now won four of their last five meetings with Rotherham, who have not won a game since September 19. The Robins' next challenge is a home fixture against Grimsby Town on 14 November. Grimsby currently sit 12th, four points ahead of Swindon, making it a key match in the tight mid-table scramble.
The original report is at wiltsglosstandard.co.uk
