Town almost completed an amazing comeback after Oldham had taken a three goal lead but a triple substitution inspired goals by Roberts and Thorpe and only the crossbar denied Jamie Cureton a deserved equaliser writes STFC Sports Reporter Adrian Smith.
Steve Jenkins had failed a late fitness test and was replaced by Andy Nicholas before the match kicked off in bright sunshine with both teams mounting useful looking attacks within the first couple of minutes. Christian Roberts was clearly enjoying his place in the starting line-up as he featured in most of Town's attacking play in the first five minutes with good moves down both wings to set up both Jamie Cureton and Tony Thorpe with chances.
Sean O'Hanlon was also looking solid in defence for Town with some important challenges to snuff out the visitors' attacking play and he made an outstanding stop from a goalbound shot to deflect the ball for a corner. However his good efforts were undone by some powderpuff defending when the ball was crossed and Rob Scott was given far too much room to fire home from seven yards to give the visitors a slightly lucky lead in the 12th minute.
Michael Pook made an important interception in the 15th minute to deny Scott another free shot on goal when the Town midfielder nipped in to put the ball out for a corner and when that was taken Guy Branston had a powerful header which flew just wide of the post.
Town pressed forward and visiting keeper Chris Day was almost embarrassed when his clearance struck one of his colleagues and the ball ran free for Tony Thorpe to cross towards an empty net but a defender was on hand to clear in the 18th minute.
The goal had clearly lifted the visitors and two minutes later former Blackpool player Richie Wellens tried his luck with a shot from 25 yards after sidestepping a challenge from Gareth Whalley but the ball flew over the bar.
Town were awarded a free-kick in the 23rd minute when Jack Smith was bundled over on the left wing just in front of the dugouts and this was taken by Cureton. The ball eventually reached Roberts at the back of the visitors' goal area and although he tricked his way past a couple of defenders, his cross was far too deep. Two minutes later a corner for Town saw the ball reach Cureton just outside the box and he tricked his way past defender Terrell Forbes to send a rising powerful shot which flew just over Day's bar.
The Town End tried hard to raise the volume around the County Ground in the hope of injecting some urgency into Town's play in a half which had seen a classic sucker punch from the visitors after withstanding some early pressure from Andy King's men.
Andy Nicholas was guilty of being caught in possession in Town's goal area and this presented the visitors with another goal scoring opportunity through Scott but his shot flew high over the bar with just over ten minutes of the half remaining.
Town were punished in the 38th minute after Roberts was guilty of gifting the ball to an Oldham defender with Patrick Collins in a superb attacking position and when the ball was played into the Town half, the visitors were awarded a free-kick twenty five yards from goal when a forward was impeded. Up stepped Andy Liddell to send a superb free-kick into the top right hand corner of the net with Rhys Evans rooted to the ground. The goal will surely rate among the leading candidates for Goal of the Season even at this early stage of the campaign.
Town took this latest setback in their stride and won a corner when a cross by Nicholas was cleared by Branston and although Nicholas was involved in the resulting attack, the ball struck him and flew out for a goal-kick.
There was little other action to report before the halftime whistle was blown by referee P Armstrong to end a disappointing half which saw the visitors grab the initiative with some determined attacking play after withstanding early Town pressure.
HALF TIME: Swindon Town 0 Oldham Athletic 2
The early action of the second half saw Town being awarded a free-kick in the 49th minute when Pook was dumped to the ground but Roberts sent a dreadful free-kick over which was easily cleared and a minute later disaster struck for Town when Chris Porter went to ground in the penalty area under the faintest of challenges by Jerel Ifil. Up stepped Andy Liddle to send Evans the wrong way from the penalty spot as the ball went into the right hand side of the net. Once again Town's midfield had been bypassed with ease and Ifil had found himself as the last defender before being penalised for the foul. Michael Pook talked himself into the referee's notebook for dissent in the aftermath of the goal and was shown the yellow card.
Town were resorting to long punts forward with no obvious target man and the crowd grew visibly and audibly restless although the Town players eventually found some urgency at last and the Town End responded with some good encouragement. However it had taken until the 60th minute for Andy King's men to move up a gear as Christian Roberts sent a rasping low shot in from twenty yards which went just wide but Town's erratic display will have troubled Andy King as huge gaps were evident in midfield which Oldham were easily able to exploit.
Town almost reduced the arrears midway through the second half as Roberts was so close to heading in a useful cross by Andy Nicholas but the Town striker appeared to hesitate and the ball flew just wide of the upright.
Andy King appeared on the touchline in an effort to try and inspire his players to try and redeem an apparently impossible situation and there was no hint of the drama which was to follow in the last 11 minutes or so of the match.
Gareth Whalley lost possession in Oldham's half and the visitors sprinted forward to mount another attack which was denied by some good defending by Sean O'Hanlon and Patrick Collins at the expense of a corner which was eventually cleared. Shortly afterwards Town made a three man substitution with thirteen minutes remaining as Ricky Shakes and Nicky Nicolau made their County Ground debuts in place of Michael Pook and Andy Nicholas and veteran Alan Reeves replaced captain Sean O'Hanlon.
The next significant action saw Tony Thorpe cautioned for the second match in succession as his frustration boiled over.
However Town finally pulled a goal back when Whalley sent a pass to Christian Roberts and he jinked inside on the left to fire home a crisp low shot in the 78th minute. Roberts had again looked at his most dangerous on the few occasions when he switched to the left.
There was even more drama to follow in the 84th minute when Nicolau sent a pass to Tony Thorpe and he opened his goalscoring account for Town with another low shot to really lift the volume and intensity around the County Ground as the home fans sensed another famous comeback.
Oldham responded by substituting Chris Porter with Delroy Facey but it was Town who continued to take the game to the visitors with Roberts doing well to get on the end of a cross by Nicolau but he headed just over.
Town continued to press forward in the three minutes of added time with wave after wave of attacks and Cureton's goalbound header was deflected for a corner which was cleared. The resulting corner saw Jamie Cureton strike the crossbar with a fine powerful header with the keeper beaten and that proved to be the last major action of the match and so the new scoreboard's first use for a night match ended with a disappointing defeat.
The players left to generous applause and no doubt Andy King will reflect on the fact that the three substitutions seemed to be the catalyst for a good comeback but Town were punished for some wasteful early attacking play and more defensive lapses. The second penalty in as many games against Town had proved decisive but the County Ground faithful will now be looking forward with anticipation for the visit of Nottingham Forest and Andy King will also have the option of including Rory Fallon who has now completed his three match suspension.
FULL TIME: Swindon Town 2 Oldham Athletic 3
Match Report: Adrian Smith, STFC Sports Reporter
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Swindon Town: Rhys Evans, Patrick Collins, Jerel Ifil, Sean O'Hanlon © (Alan Reeves) , Andy Nicholas(Nicky Nicolau), Christian Roberts, Michael Pook( Ricky Shakes), Gareth Whalley, Jack Smith, Jamie Cureton, Tony Thorpe
Substitutes: Matt Bulman (GK), Ben Wells
Oldham Athletic: Chris Day, Terrell Forbes, Ritchie Wellens, Paul Warne, Rob Scott, Richard Butcher, Chris Porter(Delroy Facey) Andy Liddell (c), Gareth Owen, Guy Branston, Marc Tierney
Substitutes: Les Pogliacomi (GK), Stefan Stam, Mark Bonner, David Eyres
