Swindon Town

Alex Pritchard saw red with half an hour to play but Swindon held on to secure the point. 

Manager Mark Cooper made a number of changes, replacing the entire back four and goalkeeper. Loanee Jack Stephens made his debut at the heart of the defence alongside Troy Archibald-Henville while Nathan Thompson took the Captain’s armband in the absence of Darren Ward. Wes Foderingham returned in goal while Jay McEveley and George Barker both came into the starting line-up. 

In a cagey first-half, Jay McEveley’s curling effort wide was the only point of note in the opening quarter before Scott Wagstaff saw his shot parried away by Foderingham. Then, as Town were enjoying a spell of possession, Ryan Harley dragged a volley wide while both Alex Pritchard and Michael Smith had shots blocked away. Before the half was over, Massimo Luongo allowed a bouncing ball to drop on the edge of the box before striking it across goal and wide. 

The final chance of note of the first forty-five came at the other end as Sam Baldock headed a cross over the bar. 

At the start of the second half, a deep cross from the City right appeared to be too long for Jay Emmanuel-Thomas. The striker stretched out his leg and diverted it goalwards then watched as it struck the post before being cleared by the Town back-line. 

With the half barely ten minutes old, Swindon were reduced to ten men. Alex Pritchard reacted angrily to a tackle by Wade Elliott and pushed the City midfielder to the ground. Referee Trevor Kettle did not hesitate in producing a red card. 

Harley’s long-range free-kick was then well parried by Fielding. From the resultant corner, the City ‘keeper did magnificently to twice deny Michael Smith from close range. 

For the remaining half-hour, Town produced a magnificent rear-guard action to see out the point. 

Amongst a number of half-chances, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was left unmarked in the box but his shot was half blocked by Jack Stephens and allowed Wes Foderingham to drop on the loose ball. 

Defending as a unit, the final five minutes of injury time saw Town camped in their own box but they held on to register a point.