Swindon suffered defeat at the Energy Check County Ground for the first time this season as Bury ran away 2-1 winners.
Phil Brown was without Michael Doughty for the first time in the 2018/19 campaign, who missed the game due to a hip problem.
Town struggled to break down Bury who disrupted any potential rhythm Swindon looked to develop with the visitors picking up their first away win of the season.
However, Brown felt it was a poor collective performance that led to the defeat to the Shakers on Saturday.
“It wasn’t about individuals today – it was a collective performance. I don’t think any one of our team could come in here and say that they won their battle, in their area of the field. We huffed and puffed a wee bit but to no real extent.
“We had players taking too many touches for the first time this season – that’s normally a sign that you haven’t got anything on. You’ve looked up and there’s no movement – and there’s no options and therefore you have to take another touch, you get closed down and the opposition’s shape becomes better than yours.”
Town were without top goalscorer Michael Doughty, but Brown does not want to rush him back and risk further injury.
“We did miss Michael Doughty today and I don’t like saying that because it puts pressure on him to get back and he might rush back too early. You don’t want that, you want him back fully fit.
“It’s a little niggle that he’s had for, probably, the last three weeks – he’s played through it. It’s more bruising than anything else. He started training but he couldn’t finish it.
“We didn’t trouble Bury enough with our guile and quality that we’ve shown in the last six games. His influence was sorely missed out there today.”
