A DEPLETED Swindon Town progressed to the second round of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy by overcoming Newport County on penalties in South Wales.

Teenager Will Randall hit the decisive spot-kick after Tyrell Belford had saved from Aaron Collins to settle a high-class penalty shoot-out, which followed a first round tie where Mark Cooper’s men, who played without a recognised centre-forward throughout, looked calm and composed before being pegged back and forced to seal their progress from 12 yards.

On the day that Town brought in forward Wes Thomas on loan from Birmingham City whilst selling Nathan Byrne to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Michael Smith was left watching his soon-to-be former team from the stands at Rodney Parade just a few short hours after sealing his departure to League One rivals Barnsley.

With Yaser Kasim, Jordan Williams and Jordan Stewart all also away on international duty, Town were threadbare, with manager Cooper forced to play Fabien Robert as a central striker in the absence of injured duo Jon Obika and Jermaine Hylton whilst youngsters Ellis Iandolo and Tom Smith made up the lion’s share of a meagre three-man bench.

When the tie kicked off, an early chance fell the way of the visitors as youngster Randall turned a marker and after a spot of good fortune, coming in the form of a favourable deflection off a defender, the winger flashed an effort inches wide of Rhys Taylor’s goal.

With 18 minutes on the clock, Robert beautifully brought down a clipped aerial ball and jinked past two defenders in the area but the Frenchman took too long to get a shot away and Newport were able to clear the danger.

But the heat wasn’t off and Anton Rodgers was soon teed up on the edge of the box, with the midfielder stroking a sublime effort into the top right-hand corner of the net to open the scoring.

“Who needs a striker?” chanted the away fans.

Town continued to dominate possession after that, with their opponents unable to make any real inroads as the visitors waltzed about the park, stroking the ball this way and that.

Drissa Traore dragged an effort wide when he found himself in an advanced position but there was little more action in front of either goal as Town coasted into the break.

It remained smooth sailing for Cooper’s charges through the opening stages of the second period, right up until Bradley Barry’s misplaced pass inadvertently played in striker Lenell John-Lewis.

The Newport man was taken down by the trailing leg of Jordan Turnbull, handing the hosts a free-kick right on the edge of the Town box but Scott Barrow blasted his effort straight into the wall as full-back Barry was let off the hook.

Rodgers showed Barrow how to hit a set-piece on-target at the other end, with his attempt punched away by keeper Taylor, before superb aggressive dribbling from Kevin Stewart saw the midfielder jink past an opponent before driving into the box and cutting the ball back for Robert, whose shot was tipped away by the Exiles goalie.

But in the 73rd minute, the men from League Two were level.

The decibel level was finally raised at Rodney Parade as the hosts worked the ball down the right and as James Brophy slipped, the ball found its way to substitute Collins, who slipped a shot past Belford to make it 1-1.

Both youngsters Iandolo and Tom Smith ended the evening on the pitch, with the former forced to replace the injured Kevin Stewart, and seven minutes from time, the Town management team had heads in hands as Brophy was booked for simulation after embarking on a jinking run into the area and ending up on his backside.

Youngster Tom Smith almost made himself a hero in the 88th minute as he flashed a powerful strike just over the bar from a Randall cutback but the scores remained level as the tie headed into the decisive penalty shoot-out.

SWINDON TOWN: Tyrell Belford, James Brophy, Jordan Turnbull, Raphael Branco, Bradley Barry, Drissa Traore, Kevin Stewart (Ellis Iandolo 79), Anton Rodgers, Lee Marshall (Tom Smith 71), Fabien Robert, Will Randall.

Sub not used: Lawrence Vigouroux.

Attendance: 1,434