THE FULL REPORT: What has gone wrong at Town?

Everything is off kilter. There are good players and in some cases some they are better than they were there before, but as of yet boss Mark Cooper is yet to find out the best way to use them.

Watching his side lose 2-1 to Colchester on Saturday you could not shake the feeling he and Luke Williams had masterminded their own downfall.

They returned to the 3-5-2 formation that brought them so much joy last year, but in the clamour to make amends for a drab display last week against Burton they chose two players as wing-backs not known for their defending.

Less than five minutes into the game and the biggest flaw with their latest tactical change had been ruthlessly exposed, allowing George Moncur to score on the ground where he first watched his dad John.

By half time a mistake in the same area had cost them another goal, Callum Harriott this time the beneficiary.

Though Wes Thomas had at least restored parity in between it was worrying that Town’s two best chances of the game came from set-pieces - usually a sign a side are struggling to create from open play.

There is not a shortage of talent in the squad, but currently Swindon lack balance and cohesion. That is something that takes time to build and time is not something the club’s current model really allows for.

There will be no second season in Wiltshire for many of this side.

Time is also something the fans in the stands do not seem willing to afford their team at the moment. After two years of watching Cooper’s teams play patient, passing football there is disquiet at the County Ground. They are literally crying out for a more direct approach.

There were howls in the Arkell’s Stand on Saturday every time a player in red dared to knock a ball square or backward, instead of forward.

They may well get louder before anything changes as Town’s footballing philosophy comes from the top. Chairman Lee Power will not be abandoning his style guide any time soon.

Unfortunately the Swindon approach can look rather toothless when the enactors are low on confidence and that is certainly the case at the moment.

There is a lack of bravery and conviction in the team to try, and follow through, on their more ambitious urges.

The problem with confidence is that it is not easily found once lost.

After their dismal defeat at the hands of Burton last weekend changes were needed from Cooper, but not many would have predicted Lawrence Vigouroux would have been the man to make way.

The Liverpool loanee lost his place to Tyrell Belford as one of three alterations. The others being Yaser Kasim in for Anton Rodgers and Fabien Robert in place of the injured Nathan Thompson.

It also made for another tactical reshuffle as Town reverted to 3-5-2, although it was particularly gung-ho variation. Robert was employed in a left wing-back role, with Henrik Ojamaa mirroring on the opposite flank.

It did not take long for the Estonian’s positional naivety to be exposed. Less than three minutes in fact and Town were made to pay for it.

U’s full-back Matthew Briggs came marauding down the left and was found in the box with too much room. Picking up his head he found an on-rushing Moncur with his pull back, allowing the midfielder to slot his first-time shot between Belford’s legs.

After the dreary 90 minutes the home fans sat through last week against the Brewers there was little patience in the stands. Almost every backward pass from the home side was greeted with jeers as patience dimmed with Town’s approach.

The U’s penalty area is hardly a fortress. Although Town were nowhere near their best they were still able to create chances.

Nicky Ajose, who continues to looks short of top form, was getting into good positions, if at times his touch was deserting him. One instance before the equaliser he did link up well with strike partner Thomas, with the latter putting his shot well wide from an inviting position inside the box.

Birmingham loanee Thomas did atone for his error when presented with a second opportunity little over five minutes later.

A Robert corner was met by Jordan Turnbull, who nodded the ball down and goalwards, finding Thomas is a mystifying amount of space to fire past Jones on the volley.

That should have kick-started a Swindon revival, but it did not. They continued to play aimlessly and when they did fashion an opportunity to get the ball into the box their final pass or cross was often wanting.

They were not helped by the departure of Thomas, who hobbled off clutching a hamstring to become the latest member of the Town’s forward ranks to see the inside of Paul Godfrey’s treatment room.

Whilst it was nice to see Thomas’ replacement Jermaine Hylton get his first run out since breaking his collarbone on the season’s opening day, he was clearly not match fit and struggled to adapt to the pace of game throughout.

With Thomas off the pitch, Town would need to find a new source of goals and it looked for all the world as if Ojamaa would answer the call.

Ajose broke free down the left and squared a perfect low cross into the path of the Estonian, all he had to do was beat Jamie Jones with a first-time shot. However his effort was too high and too close to the U’s keeper who turned it behind for a corner.

With issues to iron out on the pitch Swindon could have done with getting into the break unscathed, but the U’s did not afford them that luxury.

The source of the Colchester goal was always going to be their left flank, where Harriott was enjoying a fine game against Raphael Branco, who was too often left unguarded by Ojamaa.

It was a lovely piece of play to create the chance for the winger. Marvin Sordell, a constant threat to the Town defence made an intelligent move inside the box allowing Owen Garvan to pick him out with a pass to feet.

Seeing Harriott breaking beyond his marker the forward flicked the ball delightfully into the path of his teammate who did not waste the chance.

With three minutes until the break Swindon could not muster a response, but they should have had time to prepare one after the interval.

Instead the game was allowed to drift without neither side staking their claim on it. Tony Humes admitted afterwards he had asked his team to take their foot off the pedal, but Town seemed to respond in kind.

It was actually Colchester who had the best chances, until Town flurry in the dying stages.

Gavin Massey forced Belford to tip his drive on to the bar after a swift breakaway.

Town did eventually fashion scoring chances. Jeremy Balmy, the forgotten man of transfer deadline day, came on and made an immediate impact.

Sneaking deep into the Colchester box he crossed for Ajose, unmarked at the back post, but the striker could not beat the post and saw his effort rebound away.

Then Branco, leapt highest from a corner and nodded goalwards only to see Tosin Olufemi head it off the line.

It was not to be Town’s day and they will face a sterner test than Colchester in the wounded Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat on Tuesday.