LUKE Williams says Swindon Town’s players were hungry to keep playing this afternoon but he understands the reasons why their game at home to Bristol Rovers was abandoned.

With rain having started to fall during the first half at the County Ground, the heavens opened at half-time, leaving the pitch completely soaked.

Although play did restart, conditions became increasingly difficult and referee Oliver Langford called a halt to the game just before the hour mark with the score still goalless.

The players were taken off the field for 20 minutes before Langford undertook a pitch inspection and subsequently deemed the pitch unfit for the match to continue, calling the game off as a result.

Town head coach Williams said players from both sides were keen to get the game on but accepted the officials’ decision that safety must come first.

“Both sets of staff and players wanted to play the game, which is completely normal,” Williams told the local media.

“We don’t think about the risks, that’s why there is a referee there who is more able to take a view taking into consideration the safety aspects. We needed to trust him to make that big call and he made it.

“We are all very disappointed not to have finished the game but that’s why they are in that job, to be level-headed and make big decisions.

“His main concern was that we may be making the players vulnerable to injury because of the surface water. Players are unable to stop if they go to ground and the ball doesn’t run truly, so it can leave players in a compromising position when they try to read a ball that doesn’t bounce.

“Both sets of staff and players were happy to play in those conditions but we can’t be left to make the decision for ourselves because we possibly could make one that could leave someone vulnerable.”

Town had been the better of the two sides and Jamie Sendles-White was inches away from giving them a dream start, with the defender heading against the post with little more than two minutes on the clock.

Rovers keeper Kelle Roos was forced to tip Darnell Furlong’s swinging cross from the right over the top and Sendles-White rose highest to meet Anton Rodgers' subsequent corner but it cannoned off the woodwork before Roos eventually gathered.

The visitors then had their first real sight of goal after 10 minutes when a cross was only cleared as far as Chris Lines on the edge of the box and his scissor-kick strike flew just wide.

A big chance then went begging for Town as Rodgers fluffed his lines in front of goal. A cross-cum- shot from Luke Norris was blocked but fell nicely to the Town midfielder six yards out but he could not get the ball under control and ended up taking an air shot on the turn.

Town still had possession, though, and the ball came back out to Norris on the right but he smashed wide on the angle.

Rovers were still having chances themselves and Ollie Clarke cracked an effort the wrong side of the post following a Lines corner.

Town striker Nathan Delfouneso made a nuisance of himself all afternoon and he drove up the left before sending the ball over to partner Norris but the Rovers defence smothered the chance.

The hosts continued to boss the game and Yaser Kasim shifted infield from the right and saw a shot gathered by Roos before skipper Nathan Thompson looped a ball over the top to Delfouneso, whose effort hit a defender and went behind for a corner.

Lawrence Vigouroux was called into action for the first time just before the half-hour mark when Ellis Harrison fed Clarke, who darted into the box but could not beat the Town stopper with a low drive.

Town finished the half the stronger but their efforts were not rewarded with a goal. A delightful flick from Delfouneso found Norris in space on the edge of the box but Roos got down well to save before Kasim was also denied by the visiting keeper after robbing Lines in midfield and darting forward as the teams could not be separated at the break.

Swindon were straight back on the front foot after the restart and Rodgers found Delfouneso but he could not keep his strike down from distance, however, the weather soon intervened and referee Langford was left with no alternative but to call the game off just before the hour mark.