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Match Reports

REPORT: Salisbury 1-1 Town

Reds Held To A Draw At The Ray Mac

17 July 2017

Match Reports

REPORT: Salisbury 1-1 Town

Reds Held To A Draw At The Ray Mac

17 July 2017

Swindon Town remain unbeaten in pre-season after being held to a 1-1 draw by Salisbury on Monday evening.

Harry Smith gave the Reds a first-half lead with a firm header, atoning for an earlier miss from the penalty spot.

However, the Whites gave as good as they got on a fine evening at the Ray Mac and they rescued a draw thanks to a superb Claudio Herbert free-kick.

With pre-season now at an advanced stage, Town Boss Dave Flitcroft again opted to give certain members of his playing squad more minutes on the field.

Young goalkeeper Will Henry was handed a start between the sticks while the likes of Ben Purkiss, Chris Robertson, Donal McDermott, Amine Linganzi and Paul Mullin all featured from the off.

Town were quick out of the traps in their fourth outing of pre-season and they were awarded a penalty with less than five minutes on the clock after McDermott was hauled down inside the area.

Harry Smith, who arrived at The County Ground on a season-long loan from Millwall last week, stepped up to take it but his effort was kept out.

He had an immediate chance to make up for that miss but his header was kept out, before Linganzi’s strike from outside the box was deflected wide.

The Reds were well on top although they were given a brief scare just shy of the twenty-minute mark with Will Henry producing a great save to deny Tom Whelan.

But normal order was soon restored with Smith rising highest to head home from close-range after being picked out perfectly by James Brophy inside the area.

Salisbury responded in a strong fashion though and they forced Henry into doing plenty of work in the closing stages of the first-half.

Marvin Brooks was denied by the stopper first, before he saw his header come back off the post moments later.

Henry was in inspired form and he produced two more fine saves to keep out a Kane O’Keefe drive and a Lewis Benson free-kick.

Town had one more chance to add to their lead before the break and they could count themselves unfortunate not to go back into the dressing room with a two-goal lead after McDermott saw his thunderous effort crash back off the underside of the bar.

There were a few changes at the interval with Luke Norris, Ellis Iandolo and two trialists all entering the field of play, with Ben Purkiss, Harry Smith, James Dunne and Paul Mullin having finished their work for the night.

Salisbury picked up where they left off in the first-half and Henry showed his class once more to keep out a looping header at full stretch.

Town then opted to make a flurry of changes with Jake Evans, John Goddard, Scott Twine and Jordan Young all being handed runouts.

The Reds were struggling to find their rhythm in the second-half and they were pegged back late on, Claudio Herbert dispatching a brilliant free-kick moments after glancing a header inches wide.

However, it was the visitors who could have snatched a late winner after Twine was set free by a sublime pass from Iandolo, but the young striker was denied by a great save with the game ending all-square.

SCORERS - Harry Smith (22), Claudio Herbert (77).

SWINDON TOWN XI - Will Henry, Ben Purkiss (Trialist 45), Chris Robertson (C), Dion Conroy, Tom Smith (Scott Twine 69), Donal McDermott (John Goddard 60), James Dunne (Ellis Iandolo 45), Amine Linganzi (Jake Evans 60), James Brophy (Jordan Young 73), Harry Smith (Luke Norris 45), Paul Mullin (Trialist 45).


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