THE FULL REPORT: Town in a spot of bother

It was a dire game that neither side deserved to get anything from.

A draw might have been a fair result but the contest merited no points.

A Theo Robinson penalty was enough for Doncaster to return to South Yorkshire with the win.

Arguably, it should never have been given as Jordan Turnbull and his boss Mark Cooper felt he had got ball then man.

Referee Kevin Johnson felt differently, adding another decision to the box marked questionable from his afternoon.

Johnson also awarded the Robins their own penalty when Reece Wabara pulled back Andy Williams – but Michael Smith tamely wasted the opportunity with a meek effort that summed up Swindon’s day.

With Bristol City losing to Crewe it seemed as if Town were actively trying to stay off the infamous radar by refusing to take top spot at Christmas.

It was a horrible display where misplaced passes, poor control, bad decisions and poor shooting were more prevalent than any quality.

Doncaster were devoid of ideas.

But for their penalty, Wes Foderingham was only called into action once, that from a set-piece.

Paul Dickov’s team came to not lose and, in that aspect alone, they deserve credit.

In the first half they defended very well and in the second were lucky to get away with it.

A better side could have punished Town’s mistakes. Rovers almost failed to.

It speaks volumes about Town’s performance that they were unable to take the chances that came their way or do more with the raft of possession they were afforded.

Massimo Luongo, an imperious figure seven days ago at Notts County, was well off colour.

Nathan Byrne, bolted down by the presence of two defenders, and Ben Gladwin, fresh new contract in-hand, offered little threat.

Aside from Foderingham, the play from the back was sloppy.

Jack Stephens reverted to the haphazard figure withdrawn early at Cheltenham, mis-hitting passes and making poor choices all game.

Despite lining up with the same side that won so convincingly at Meadow Lane, Town simply never got out of bed in the first half.

The first 20 minutes drifted by with both sides insisting each other should go first when it came to attacking.

Nothing happened of note until Gladwin delivered a deep cross for Williams who saw his volley blocked.

A blocked shot for 15 minutes of action was a portent of how the half would unfold.

Incidentally, the closest Rovers came to breaking the deadlock was a back pass from Yaser Kasim that Foderingham could do nothing about as it bobbled off his leg and just went past the post for a corner.

In the 23rd minute the visitors were given the chance to do what no side has done at the County Ground since September, take the lead.

James Coppinger slipped through a pass for South Africa international Dean Furman in a fairly harmless position on the outer reaches of the penalty area.

Looking to nick the ball off the Doncaster man’s toe, Turnbull slid in and appeared to timed his tackle well with the ball going behind for a corner.

Johnson however disagreed and pointed to the spot, leaving Turnbull seething.

It seemed particularly galling as, just prior to Turnbull’s challenge, Byrne had his own claims for a penalty rejected at the end of a Town breakaway.

However, on that occasion, those appeals were probably waved away fairly, as the wing-back went to ground far too quickly.

Whatever the decision of the referee, there was not a pressing need for Turnbull to make his tackle. The Southampton youngster might have been better served to stay on his feet and shepherd Furman away from goal.

Robinson was tasked with the duty of giving Rovers the lead and he duly obliged, the former Derby man converting in a manner so comfortable that it made Smith’s later miss from the same spot appear baffling.

There was hope that falling behind might actually spark some life in Swindon, but it did not.

The half continued in its insipid fashion, with fleeting moments of inspiration largely engulfed by inept passing.

The only Town player to leave the game with any credit was Foderingham. He was faultless in all his work throughout the game and his distribution was immaculate.

In a rare moment of quality from Doncaster, the Swindon stopper was called upon to be at his very best to tip over Luke McCullough’s steep header from a hopeful free-kick.

Nathan Thompson, who probably produced the pass of the game when he brought the ball out from the back and arrowed a long pass out to Gladwin on the left touchline, showed his defensive attributes in the opening half’s only other half-chance, getting across to block Coppinger’s strike after Kasim had missed a tackle on the edge of the box.

The half petered out without breaking from its tedium and with Town in need of some inspiration during the break.

Swindon did reappear with a bit more vigour, but the improvement in their play was minimal, the drip had become a trickle.

It was enough to carve open a dogged Doncaster though. A rare well-placed pass from Stephens found Obika just inside the box. The striker turned and fired instinctively but saw his shot deflected and spin on to the post.

Byrne and then Luongo were next to demonstrate the Robins’ improved attacking intent. Finally displaying the quality that has been so regularly on display this season to work their respective shooting positions, they then both wasted their chances, firing wide when well placed.

In two moves, they provided a summation of Town’s improvement – good but not good enough.

By now Rovers had turned their defensive third into a mini Maginot Line.

At points, 21 players were in the Doncaster half, Foderingham was about as relevant as cheese in the desert.

Smith, introduced from the bench to offer a different threat up front, created one of the two big chances Town would waste in the second half.

The Geordie flicked on into the path of Williams, leaving only goalkeeper Sam Johnstone to beat but the striker drilled his effort wide.

Gladwin and then Doncaster’s Andy Butler wasted chances at either end before the defining moment of the half.

A deep cross from Stephens was going harmlessly out of play but underneath it, Williams was being demonstratively pulled back by Wabara and Johnson awarded the penalty.

Top goalscorer Smith put the ball down with the opportunity to give Town the share of the game they merited.

Off a short run-up he could only place tamely to Johnstone’s left and watched the Manchester United loanee save his effort.

It was a poor kick that typified Swindon’s afternoon.

After that Town barely mustered an attack of note until the game’s dying embers, Nathan Thompson rising to meet a corner only to see it blocked on the line by Enda Stevens.

Had Town taken any of the chances that came their way they would have been top at Christmas.

As it is they had to settle for dropping out of the automatic spots, though with a relatively light festive schedule against mid-table opposition, another chance to take over at the top could come their way.

If they are to take it they will have to play better than they did against Doncaster.

Improving on that level of performance should not be difficult.

Memories of this game will not linger long.