Kabongo Tshimanga came back to haunt his former club as his penalty extended Swindon Town’s undefeated home run with a 1-0 win over Chesterfield.

Ian Holloway being banished from the touchline after ten minutes and a long injury stoppage dictated a first half in which very little of substance occurred.

Tshimanga both won and converted the penalty as Swindon made the most of the only real big opportunity of the match.

The victory sees Town extend their undefeated home run to eight straight games and clamber up to 15th place and just one point behind The Spireites.

Holloway made four changes to the side as he looked to make the best of things whilst dealing with a raft of defensive injuries. Miguel Freckleton made his first start since the FA Cup First Round and was joined in coming into the side by Ollie Clarke, Kabongo Tshimanga, and Joel McGregor.

A cautious opening ten minutes was suddenly busted open as Harry Smith received a yellow card for an off-the-ball scuffle with Jack Sparkes. Holloway then got involved with his own opinion and was swiftly brandished with a red card.

Chesterfield had definitely started the brighter of the two teams but there was no hope of either finding an early rhythm as Tyrone Williams was involved in a collision from a free kick and was eventually stretchered off after a delay.

After a pause of around ten minutes, Swindon produced two good chances very quickly. The first saw Smith barrel down the left touchline and cut inside to get his shot off. The effort from the edge of the area took a deflection and could have wrong-footed Ryan Boot but he was able to readjust.

Two minutes later Town had the ball on the edge of the box and despite three players never having it fully under control, they conspired to slip Tshimanga in behind. He fired across goal and a desperate dive to block it.

But this was not a marker of what was to follow as Swindon were finding it more difficult to win the ball from Smith’s knockdowns and the game was characterised by constant little fouls breaking up play.

Even the 11 minutes of stoppage time did not help either side get going. Chesterfield might have claimed to have been responsible for more meaningful possession, but Connor Ripley would not have known as other than a few catches, he could have taken on some part-time employment to make use of his spare time.

Right before the break, Swindon were able to keep The Spireites deep after a long ball. Jake Cain got it back off of Joel Cotterill and clipped in a cross. With Smith wearing a defender like a rucksack, he managed to get his head on the end of the cross but could only head it wide.

Swindon retained their status as the more menacing of two pacifist sides into the second period. After winning a corner, Will Wright clipped the ball onto the head of Freckleton and he headed just wide of the top corner.

Set pieces were proving profitable early in the half as two back-to-back saw Clarke have with an effort at the near post blocked by Jack Sparkes and then Smith met the next one and headed over the top.

But in a game that was always going to be tight, Chesterfield made the error. Tom Naylor sold his goalkeeper short with a header. With the ball bouncing high, Tshimanga pounced on his indecision and nipped in before being brought down.

The former Chesterfield striker was given the right to convert it himself and he stuttered his run-up enough to send Boot to his left and stroke the ball to the right and into the cheek of the goal.

The sense that they might have been thrown a rope by fortune seemed to puff Swindon chests out. The Spireites were looking to build out, but it was red shirts that were getting to the ball first in every challenge. This made a few openings for Cotterill and Tshimanga, but they could not quite get their desired shot away.

A huge opportunity presented itself as Ripley got the ball from a Chesterfield corner. He sent Smith straight in behind from the back but as he looked to create room for the finish, he showed too much of the ball to Jamie Grimes, and he got a foot in.

The away side attempted some sort of campaign to get a goal back but the jeopardy of a sixth straight match without a win on the road could not light their match.

This was far from a classic and Swindon could not claim to have downed a side with playoff aspirations based entirely on footballing merits. But in a tough game for both teams, they did what had to be done to make sure this new home fortress did not come crumbling down.

STFC starting XI: Ripley, Wright, Ofoborh, Cotterill, Clarke, Smith, Cain, Kilkenny, Freckleton, Tshimanga, McGregor.

STFC substitutes: Bycroft, Sobowale, Glatzel, Nichols, Butterworth, Westley, Ameen.

CFC starting XI: Boot, Grimes, Mandeville, Williams, Dobra, Duffy, Sparkes, Metcalfe, Pepple, Olakigbe, Donacien.

CFC substitutes: Thompson, Sheckleford, Naylor, Oldaker, Banks, Drummond, Madden.

Attendance: 7,531 (595 away).