MAYBE this wet-behind-the-ears Swindon Town team deserve a little more credit?

By now, the County Ground faithful need no introduction to the fabled ‘Swindon Way’.

It’s a mantra that transcends much more than just the style of play that the men in red adopt when they step on the pitch but the whole philosophy of how Luke Williams’ squad is recruited.

Whilst fans up and down the country were desperate for their beloved clubs to throw caution to the wind and splash the cash in the January sales to alleviate whatever perceived problems engulfed their respective plights, goings on were pretty quiet at the County Ground last month.

Academy graduate Louis Thompson returned for yet another spell back with his hometown club and Queens Park Rangers man Michael Doughty also joined on loan to make up the sum total of Town’s incoming business during the recently-expired transfer window.

With a host of players also bidding goodbye last month, whether returning to their parent clubs or moving on to pastures new, what was left behind was primarily a mixture of up-and-coming loanees and youngsters born well this side of 1990.

Swindon Advertiser:
Teenager Ellis Iandolo tries to mount an attack after coming on as a substitute

There aren’t many senior appearances between the Swindon collective but maybe, just maybe, experience doesn’t count for everything.

Heading into Saturday afternoon’s trip to promotion-chasing Gillingham, only table-topping Burton Albion, Southend United and Oldham Athletic had travelled to Priestfield in League One this season and not been dispatched.

Justin Edinburgh’s troops, who resisted the overtures of Bristol City to keep hold of star man Bradley Dack in January, boast the most fearsome home record in the division – nobody has scored more and only Wigan Athletic and Bradford City have conceded fewer.

It had only been six weeks since the Gills sauntered to a 3-1 triumph at the County Ground. Surely the writing was on the wall?

But maybe, this Swindon side deserve a little more credit?

After missing his team’s midweek defeat at Port Vale due to concussion protocols after a head injury sustained against Barnsley a few days earlier, Town were boosted pre-match by the return of top-scorer Nicky Ajose, who partnered Jonathan Obika up top.

Defender Jordan Turnbull was also back in Williams’ line-up following his hamstring niggle, meaning that Doughty was back in midfield after his impressive central defensive cameo at Vale Park, with Jeremy Balmy and Jermaine Hylton dropping to the bench.

However, there was no return for injured duo Raphael Branco and Thompson, who is yet to make his Swindon return after rejoining the club on loan from Norwich City at the end of the January transfer window.

Swindon Advertiser:
Anton Rodgers battles with Gillingham's Bradley Dack

In the early stages, any pre-match dread may have just about appeared justified as Gillingham exploded out of the blocks and with the swirling, unforgiving wind at their backs, they huffed and they puffed and they very nearly blew Town’s house down.

It was all hands to the pump as Swindon’s novices attempted to resist the irresistible, with their high-flying hosts making use of the elements to pile pressure on Town’s back line with clipped aerial balls that changed the direction of play in a heartbeat or to add extra menace to a number of whipped deliveries from out wide.

Roared on by a voracious partisan crowd, the blue shirts poured forward with intent during the first quarter-of-an-hour but after their early efforts offered scant reward, somehow, something changed.

Williams’ men finally began to knock the ball about in their usual signature style and when things broke down and dangerous attacking midfielder Dack inspired the Gills into yet another stirring counter-attack, the hosts’ offensives were repelled, with the likes of Nathan Thompson and Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill pulling off a clutch of authoritative one-on-one challenges.

Perhaps due to throwing so much into their own defensive efforts, Town themselves did fail to give Gillingham much to sweat about at the back but slowly but surely, the belief seemingly evaporated from Edinburgh’s side, with their manager a picture of frustration as his team saw their efforts rebuffed.

Swindon Advertiser:
Stuart Nelson is quick to leave his goal to prevent the danger from Nicky Ajose

Determination and grit are qualities that have rarely been associated with Swindon this term – they’d conceded eight goals in their last five outings before visiting the Gills – but post-match, Williams was left to salute the way his team battled their way to their finest draw of the season so far.

In the opening stages, Turnbull deflected Rory Donnelly’s early effort over the bar and with just four minutes on the clock, the same two players were involved as the hosts came within a whisker of taking the lead.

The swirling wind saw a long ball bounce viciously and after Swindon’s Turnbull slipped, striker Donnelly was in on goal but his attempted side-foot finish pinged against the outside of the post, letting Town off the hook – Donnelly claimed post-match that his shot was goal-bound, only for the wind to divert it onto the woodwork mid-flight.

The Gills continued to use the unforgiving elements to their advantage as they piled the pressure on Williams’ troops and in the ninth minute, they had appeals for a spot-kick waved away by referee Andy Woolmer after marauding full-back Ryan Jackson went down in the box when challenged from behind by Ormonde-Ottewill.

But the visitors did eventually manage to weather the literal and figurative storm and began to get hold of the ball, with Obika turning on a throw-in and lashing an effort against the side-netting just past the 20-minute mark.

In the 30th minute, Dack followed suit as he failed to beat Vigouroux at his near post but the Town goalie was soon called into action moments later as he was forced to claw Josh Wright’s long-range strike over the crossbar at full-stretch.

Swindon Advertiser:
Anton Rodgers attempts to get on the scoresheet at Priestfield

But despite all of their early dominance, the frustration soon set in for the hosts as Swindon continued to defend manfully and two minutes before the break, they almost stole an unlikely lead as Ajose got in down the left of the area and squared for strike partner Obika, but he saw his effort turned behind by a despairing Max Ehmer.

Williams’ charges began the second half on the front foot, with Anton Rodgers going for the spectacular as he flicked the ball up before hitting an audacious volley goalwards but Gillingham goalie Stuart Nelson gathered comfortably.

The two teams then began to cancel each other out, although Thompson was forced to cut out a dangerous cross from Dack after Kasim’s attempted cross-field ball was seized upon by the Gills midfielder.

With 77 minutes on the clock, Town again came close to snatching the lead in unlikely circumstances as Bradley Barry whipped in a delicious cross from the right flank that found Ajose unmarked at the far post but the striker couldn’t angle his header on target.

Up the other end, Dack shot straight at Vigouroux before Obika had a pop from outside the Gillingham area, only for his effort to loop harmlessly wide of the goal, with keeper Nelson stranded.

Three minutes from time, the home supporters were getting ready to celebrate a late winner as John Egan unleashed a fierce strike from narrowly outside of the area but his effort curled wide of the post and there was to be no sting in the tail.

The oft-trotted cliché of a stalemate that generates the same wellspring of joy as a victory must have rung true for the men in red as they departed the pitch at Priestfield, safe in the knowledge that they had pulled off a major upset.

They had blunted the league’s most rampant attack and, whilst supporters can argue until they’re blue in the face over whether their team are long enough in the tooth to sufficiently compete in League One, Town’s troops had produced a cast-iron rebuttal to their doubters with a performance of previously unheralded solidarity.

On Tuesday, the emergency loan window opens and Swindon may well look to add further options to their squad with temporary recruits from clubs at higher levels but perhaps those currently plying their trade at the County Ground deserve just a little bit more credit?

At Priestfield, they showed a backbone worthy of significant praise.