Battling Town earn first Saturday away win this season at Barrow

Swindon Town won their first away game on a Saturday this season with a mammoth team effort to win 2-0 at promotion-chasing Barrow AFC.

Town were in a very unfamiliar position at the break as Williams Kokolo and Paul Glatzel hit the back of the net after Barrow had passed up some big chances.

Barrow did their best to find a way back into the game after the break, but Town managed to withstand their barrage and come away with a big three points.

Swindon won their first away game this calendar year to secure mathematic safety for another season in League Two.

Gavin Gunning opted for three changes from the side that was defeated at Sutton United on Easter Monday. Frazer Blake-Tracy returned from injury alongside Jake Cain and George McEachran as the 33-year-old opted for a more solid midfield three.

Swindon had a positive opening with plenty of purposeful moves, the best of which saw Aaron Drinan run away into the box and tee up Glatzel, but he couldn’t steady himself enough and fired over the top.

In the sixth minute, Dom Telford received the ball on the edge of the area and hit a dangerous effort that narrowly went wide of the target.

Following this chance the hosts began to put their stamp on proceedings and forced Swindon a bit deeper, with various set pieces being launched into the penalty area.

Barrow were nearly gifted a goal as Conor McCarthy let the ball roll over his foot with Jack Bycroft square of him. Telford chased beyond the defender to get to the ball first and with the target at his mercy just off to the side, he can’t turn home.

In the 21st minute, it was the Bluebirds’ turn to get caught as a sloppy pass was intercepted by Jake Cain. He wasted no time in threading Glatzel through on goal and he tried to steer a shot into the corner, but Paul Farman stayed big and did well to deny him.

This brought about a frantic period that saw huge chances at both ends as first Cole Stockton had the ball in the back of the net but was offside and then Swindon had a three against two, but Kokolo failed to pick out a teammate.

That reached a crescendo as Barrow got in the area and a mad goalmouth scramble saw Udoka Godwin-Malife block a shot on the line, but that pinged back into the middle for another effort that the desperate diving arm of Bycroft beat away.

Town then took the lead after 35 minutes as a neat move that saw Drinan, Glatzel, and McEachran link up on the edge of the area before it was laid off for Williams Kokolo to whip a shot beyond Farman for his first Swindon goal.

Just as the first half ticked into added-on time, Town doubled their lead as Glatzel ran beyond the back line and jinked free of James Chester before slotting a finish beyond Farman to net in the fourth straight game.

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Pete Wild made a triple change at the break and switched to a 343 formation to try and chase the game. Coming quickly out of the traps and putting Town under pressure with a barrage of long balls.

Warren Feely made a great run up the left, just about evading the challenges of three defenders before eventually finding a cross into Tyrell Warren, but the ball had just gone out.

Shortly after a ball into the middle found the head of Emile Acquah, but Bycroft was able to deny him.

Kokolo nearly turned provider as he showed fabulous endeavour to get away from his marker on the touchline and gallop down the side of the box. Drinan pulled away nicely and received the cutback, but his control allowed Farman to come flying out and make the save.

A Barrow corner was met in the middle by James Chester and Bycroft somehow managed to get something on it and as Acquah and Cole Stockton tried to get something on the rebound, the assistant referee put his flag up to stop them capitalising.

The hosts were really knocking on the door around the hour mark as first Udoka Godwin-Malife needed to make a goal-saving tackle to stop Stokcton getting a shot off in the box and the quickly after Bycroft made a fine save to dent Telford from the top of the box. Swindon were ahead but far from comfortable.

Town were still offering a threat of their own as a corner from Cain was shielded by Drinan to see it through to Blake-Tracy, but his effort was blocked by a crowd of bodies in front of the goal.

The bluebirds did everything they could to get back into the game, but in a game of unfamiliar things for Swindon, they were steadfast at the back.

BAFC starting XI: Farman, Ray, Worrall, Spence, White, Gotts, Chester, Telford, Stockton, Feely, Whitfield.

BAFC substitutes: Lillis, Proctor, Newby, Foley, Acquah, Warren.

STFC starting XI: Bycroft, Blake-Tracy, McEachran, Elbouzedi, Glatzel, Cain, Kokolo, Godwin-Malife, Drinan, McCarthy, Ofoborh.

STFC substitutes: Brann, McKirdy, Brewitt, McGurk, Aguiar, Austin, McGregor.

Attendance: 3,502 (220 away).