PAUL Mullin came off the bench to snatch a dramatic late winner for Swindon Town against Port Vale this afternoon as they made it five home victories on the bounce.

Lapse defending at either end allowed the two teams to share four goals between them in the first half but neither then looked like being able to grab winner after the restart in a contest devoid of real quality for large periods.

That was until two minutes before the end of the regulation 90 when Mullin’s sublime flicked finish looped over Vale keeper Ryan Boot to snatch the points for Swindon at the Energy Check County Ground.

Michael Tonge fired Vale ahead early on after a free-kick was not dealt with before Marc Richards struck twice to turn the game in Town’s favour

Swindon were undone by another set-piece in the final minute of the first half, however, as Cristian Montano headed home from a corner and it looked like finishing all-square until Mullin’s late intervention.

The victory keeps David Flitcroft’s side exactly where they started the day, safely in the play-off places in sixth in the table, five points outside the automatic promotion spots.

Vale had the ball in the back of the net as early as the fourth minute when Nathan Smith smashed the ball past home keeper Reice Charles-Cook from six yards but the centre-back had strayed offside to meet Tonge’s deep free-kick in.

Luke Norris then had Swindon’s first effort of note as he lashed across the face goal and wide after a Matt Taylor corner was not deal with by the visiting defence.

Set-pieces seemed the order of the day and one led to the opening goal as Vale broke the deadlock after 11 minutes.

Ben Purkiss knocked over Tom Pope midway inside the Town half and the big Vale striker then headed Smith’s free-kick back across goal where Tonge arrived to crash it over the line.

A defensive mishap from Kyle Howkins almost allowed Town an instant reply as he made a hash of clearing a low Taylor cross but Richards ha little time to react and cracked his shot over the top. 

However, Swindon did get themselves level after 24 minutes when Norris spotted acres of space on the left and pumped the ball in for the advancing Taylor to collect and float into the box where Richards met it with a perfectly-placed header into the bottom corner of the net from 12 yards.

The home side were then appealing for a penalty shortly afterwards when Richards went down in the box under pressure from Howkins but referee Andy Woolmer was not interested.

Swindon continued to boss play but had few clear-cut chances until they were gift-wrapped the lead five minutes before the break.

Vale keeper Boot cannoned a clearance straight into Howkins and the ball rolled to Norris in acres of space just outside the box. Unselfishly, he laid off into the path of Richards to fire home his second of the day.

However, the home side could not hold on until the break as they were undone by another set-piece in the final minute of the half.

A Tonge corner was not dealt with and Montano climbed highest to head home and make it all-square at the break.

The Swindon defence were almost exposed again as the second half began and they were grateful to a sublime block by Ollie Banks just as the ball looked to fall to the unmarked Danny Pugh in the box.

Vale should have got their noses in front from the ensuing corner as Joe Davis climbed to meet Tonge’s ball in but headed over from six yards.

At the other end, Boot got down well to smother a 25-yard Timi Elsnik strike before Town missed a gilt-edged chance themselves to get in front.

Norris was bundled over by Davis midway inside the Vale half and Chris Robertson headed down Taylor’s free-kick into the path of Banks but he could not adjust his body in time and blazed high over the bar.

Town boss Flitcroft rolled the dice with a double substitution just after the hour mark, replacing Elsnik and Norris with James Dunne and Kaiyne Woolery, and the latter almost had an instant impact as his quick feet fashioned a shooting chance in the box but Boot saved well to his left.

After a breathless 20 minutes, all quality then dropped out of the game and neither side saw a clear sight of goal until the dying stages.

With the contest seemingly set to end in a draw, that all changed with just two minutes to go when Banks played a deep ball into the box. Kyle Knoyle was able to head back across goal and Mullin got there ahead of Smith to flick a boot the ball and divert it past Boot into the net for the winner.

SWINDON TOWN: Charles-Cook; Purkiss, Robertson, Menayese; Knoyle, Banks, Elsnik (Dunne 64), Anderson (Mullin 80), Taylor; Norris (Woolery 64), Richards (capt). Subs not used: Moore, Iandolo, Romanski.

PORT VALE: Boot; Gibbons, Smith, Howkins, Montano; Harness (Barnett 27 (Wilson 83)), Pugh, Worrall (Davis 46), Hannant; Tonge; Pope (capt). Subs not used: Lainton, Jules, Raglan, Forrester.

Referee: Andy Woolmer

Attendance: 5,713