THE 'Railway Derby' ended all square as Town and Crewe drew 1-1 at Gresty Road.
Ryan Harley opened the scoring for the visitors before substitute Vadaine Oliver levelled.
Town made three changes to the starting line-up. In came Massimo Luongo, Jacob Murphy and Troy Archibald-Henville for Jack Barthram and Dany N’Guessan while there was no place in the matchday squad for Jay McEveley.
After Chuks Aneke had dragged a shot wide of goal early on, Town proceeded to have the better of the chances and the possession. Nathan Byrne fired over before Michael Smith couldn’t take a chance one-on-one after being sent clear by Murphy.
Luongo then flicked Ryan Harley’s cross wide and tried to thread a ball through to Murphy before arguably Town’s best chance of the half came and went.
Nathan Thompson was played through on goal on the angle. As he bore down on the target, he appeared to be caught in two minds between going to goal and rolling the ball across the six-yard box to a fellow team-mate. In the end, the full-back simply pushed the ball across goal and harmlessly wide.
Thompson would drill wide from the edge of the area before the home side wasted their own chance to take a lead into the break.
Ryan Harley was adjudged to have handled a cross from the right and referee Mr Lewis pointed to the spot. Aneke took responsibility but got his penalty horribly wrong, blasting the ball over the bar and into the stand.
Just three minutes into the second half, Town opened the scoring with a stunning goal. Nathan Byrne, who found himself on the right, went on a mazy run that took him all the way from the right touchline to the left-hand corner of the box. He then laid the ball off for Ryan Harley who thumped the shot into the back of the net.
Minutes later it could have been 2-0 as Luongo snaffled possession in midfield and advanced into the space on the edge of the area. With the goal at his mercy, he lifted his side-footed effort over the bar.
The Australian also lashed wide from 30 yards and Michael Smith dragged a volley wide as Town went in search of a second.
Having missed the penalty earlier on, Aneke then tested Belford from close range then smacked an effort off the crossbar before the hosts equalised with fifteen minutes to play.
Substitute Vadaine Oliver ran onto a bouncing ball before thundering home from 20 yards to bring the scores level.
Swindon Town: Belford, Thompson N, Archibald-Henville, Ward (C), Byrne, Harley, Kasim, Thompson L, Luongo, Smith M, Murphy
Subs: Bedwell, Smith A, Branco, N'Guessan, Barthram, Gladwin, Barker
