Swindon Town’s rapid development is stopped in its tracks at home to Crawley Town

Perhaps we got ahead of ourselves when assessing the credentials of this new-look Swindon Town side, daring to believe that the prospect of immediate promotion out of League Two was beginning to look a real possibility.

After so many dark days in the recent past, it is easy to understand why.

With seven points from the opening three games and their side sitting pretty at the top of the early table, Swindon supporters arrived at the County Ground with more than a sense of quiet optimism that they could expect more of the same against a Crawley Town side who were the only team in the division yet to have garnered a point.

However, those hopes were blown apart by what was far and away Swindon’s poorest performance of the season as they handed over their unbeaten league record with little resistance.

In truth, Town were very impressive early on and created a plethora of chances but were punished for failing to make it pay on the scoreboard when Olly Lancashire was unfortunate to head into his own net to give the visitors the lead at the break.

What unfolded after the interval, though, was a marked regression on what has epitomised Town so far this season.

There was none of the guts, spirit and determination that has earned wins away at Carlisle United and Morecambe as well as a come-from-behind draw at home to Exeter City.

Instead, Town seemed to surrender easily in the face of adversity.

Effort, intensity and spark seemed to fizzle out of their play as they grew frustrated at the situation before late strikes from Jordan Roberts and Jimmy Smith gave the scoreline an emphatic feel in the visitors’ favour.

New Swindon boss David Flitcroft has given the impression of a man very much keeping his feet on the ground over the opening weeks of the campaign, knowing that despite a more than encouraging start, his team are still very much a work in progress.

Sure, Saturday’s dour disappointment does not undo a lot of good credit that has been built up in the bank by his troops since the opening day on August 5.

However, it is perhaps a sign that the settling in period for so many new faces is understandably still not complete and it will take a bit more time before supporters can look down on a side they know is the finished article.

Flitcroft opted to name an unchanged team from the one that had ground out a battling win away at Morecambe a week earlier, meaning there was no place in the XI for new recruit Matt Taylor.

The former Portsmouth and West Ham United player arrived at the County Ground on a free transfer at the start of the week and had to make do with a place on the bench.

Buoyed by their strong start to the season as well as their lofty early standing, Swindon came racing out of the blocks and went close inside two minutes when Luke Norris headed Chris Hussey’s corner over the bar after Crawley full-back Lewis Young misjudged a high ball.

Swindon defender Dion Conroy tangles with Jordan Roberts

Kaiyne Woolery then fluffed a chance inside the box when he swiped at fresh air after being picked out by Donal McDermott following a quick throw from Ben Purkiss.

Town were then inches from getting the opening goal their pressure deserved just before the quarter-of-an-hour mark when Lancashire found space in the box to meet a Hussey free-kick but the skipper headed over from six yards when left unmarked.

The hosts continued to dictate the game and James Dunne broke up play in the middle to spark a counter, which saw Norris thread in Mullin on the right and he fired in a shot that was blocked for a corner.

Another free header from a set-piece – this time from Dion Conroy – then drifted just wide of the Crawley goal before the visitors had their first sight of goal midway through the half. Lancashire’s defensive header dropped perfectly for Smith to shoot from 20 yards but he blazed over the top.

Roberts then saw a free-kick from the right sail just by the top corner of Lawrence Vigouroux’s goal before the visitors were indebted to the heroics of goalkeeper Glenn Morris for keeping the scores level.

Luke Norris is denied by Glenn Morris

First, the Crawley stopper made a stunning point-blank save from Norris after he brought down McDermott’s ball in before the same player was thwarted after pouncing on Hussey’s corner.

After having their backs to the wall for almost the whole game up to that point, Crawley took an undeserved lead 10 minutes before the break. Young whipped a good ball in from the right and as Lancashire duelled with Roberts, the Town skipper seemed to get a push in the back and he could only head into his own net as he fell.

Swindon went close to an instant leveller when Woolery cracked a rasping drive from distance narrowly wide but there was no way back into it before the break.

Town continued to pepper balls forward after the restart but it was Crawley who had the best of the early chances as Cedoric Evina darted down the left and cut the ball back, with Vigouroux out well to close down Oanutche Camara after the home defence did not deal with it.

Matt Taylor comes on for his Swindon Town debut

Swindon’s play began to stagnate even after Flitcroft rolled the dice by introducing Taylor for his debut and James Brophy for Amine Linganzi and Woolery respectfully and a lovely move from the visitors opened up the home defence, with Roberts combining with Camara in a nice one-two but Vigouroux made a smart stop low down.

The wheels well and truly fell off for home side and Crawley looked most likely to get the next goal, with Dannie Bulman cracking just over the top from the edge of the box following a quick throw.

Play moved from end-to-end in the closing stages, with first Vigouroux denying Camara as he broke clear before Morris clawed away a drilled low effort from late Swindon substitute Harry Smith.

Sadly, that save led to Crawley doubling their advantage 11 minutes from time, with Jimmy Smith feeding Roberts in a swift counter and his low effort from the edge of the box took a wicked deflection, taking it past Vigouroux and into the bottom corner.

Town’s desperation to get forward only resulted in a third Crawley goal in the dying stages, with Bulman cutting the ball back against reduced numbers at the back for the hosts, with Jimmy Smith drilling in a powerful effort to wrap up the points and leave the County Ground stunned in silence.