Swindon kicked off 2020 with one of the best away wins of the season so far, coming from behind to beat Plymouth Argyle 2-1.
Diallang Jaiyesimi scored Town’s first goal with a fine strike after Dom Telford had opened the scoring for the home side.
With 15 minutes to play, Swindon had their winner and it was Eoin Doyle that got it with a calm finish past Plymouth goalkeeper, Alex Palmer – who was in fine fettle all afternoon.
First Half
In front of a really raucous crowd both sides set about matching that atmosphere in their football – fast football from both sides meant chances galore for Argyle and Town in the opening half an hour.
George Cooper crossed from the left with Niall Canavan getting his head on it – Steven Benda had to spring to his left to tip away after six minutes.
Benda was called in to action a minute later when Antoni Sarcevic went through with the German not having to work as hard to stop this tame effort.
Town’s first chance came 12 minutes in – Danny Rose slipped Jaiyesimi in but a deflection and the hands of Alex Palmer preventer the Norwich loanee. He almost turned provide minutes later when he poked a pass to Eoin Doyle who tested Palmer again.
On 21 minutes the hosts had the lead – George Cooper clipped a cross in after a good work on the left and Dom Telford nodded down and into the net after a good spell of Town chances.
In the next ten minutes, Doyle and Lloyd Isgrove were both denied as Town looked for an equaliser but with ten to play before the break, a moment of real quality brought Town level.
After rolling his man in the middle of the park, he surged towards goal and struck low and hard and into the corner. The shot beat Palmer all ends up and cannoned in off the post.
Swindon had to defend their box for much of the remainder of the half but did so without too much hassle.
Second Half
Swindon started the second period brightly, full of purpose and vigour – Jerry Yates went close to adding another to his list of goals this season but Palmer parried his effort over the bar.
That was his last real action before being brought off ahead of the hour mark – Kaiyne Wooley came on in his place and almost made an instant impact. His first touch of the ball took him breezing past Scott Wootton before squaring to Eoin Doyle. His pass was inches away from the Irishman’s toe who had the goal at his mercy.
Woolery was involved again minutes later – Doyle crossed this time and without Palmer’s touch he would have scored but the Argyle keeper got the slightest of fingers on the ball and tipped it onto Woolery’s back and the home side clear.
On 75 minutes, Town had their winner - through a familiar source. Eoin Doyle stroked into the bottom corner following a fine Swindon move. Doyle, himself, clipped the ball out to Isgrove who found Michael Doughty who had come off the bench. He set Paul Caddis for a cross and the Scotsman drove a low ball in – Doyle got across the two Plymouth centre-halves and put the ball in the far bottom corner.
From then it was a case of holding on and that they did. The pair of Fryers and Grant were a collective immovable object.
