SEASICK Swindon Town’s winless run stretched to five matches as they slipped to defeat at struggling Blackpool this afternoon.

The Tangerines may have started the day second-bottom of League One but the few Blackpool fans that dared venture within Bloomfield Road were treated to a second successive victory - their first set of back-to-back triumphs in more than two years - as Mark Cooper’s men were beaten in the North West.

As has become the norm for Town, their ball retention in the early stages was metronomic, with Yaser Kasim at the heart of things as they passed the ball around with consummate ease.

But when the midfielder was caught in possession with 11 minutes on the clock, the first chance of the match fell the way of Blackpool’s Jack Redshaw, who had Lawrence Vigouroux scrambling as he flashed a shot just wide of the target.

Jermaine Hylton replaced Fabien Robert with little more than 20 minutes gone and despite all of the visitors’ neat play, with Kasim and Louis Thompson particularly impressive, the face of the game shifted in the 38th minute as Tangerines striker Mark Cullen met a near-post corner, with his header taking a nick off a Swindon head but creeping over the line to open the scoring.

Cooper’s men could easily have been trailing by two goals a few moments later as Cullen was played in down the left side of the penalty box but with the angle tightening, the Blackpool man could only fire his shot straight down the throat of Vigouroux.

The home side continued to turn the screw right through to the break and Liverpool loanee Vigouroux earned his pennies by superbly palming away Brad Potts’ dipping free-kick aimed for the top corner.

The Town goalkeeper had to be vigilant to keep out two early efforts from half-time substitute Bright Osayi-Samuel, with the winger’s first attempt drawing another acrobatic piece of keeping from Vigouroux.

With the pace visibly quickening, Kasim’s slide rule pass played in Jonathan Obika up the other end of Bloomfield Road but home keeper Doyle rushed off his line well to block the Swindon frontman’s toe-poke.

But the impressive Potts came within inches of doubling the hosts’ advantage just before the hour-mark, the tall midfielder cracking a long-range effort against the inside of the Swindon post as the away fans breathed a collective sigh of relief.

The let-offs continued as Osayi-Samuel continued to terrorise the Town back line but he fired wide of the mark with just Vigouroux to beat after getting in behind the defence once again.

The visitors thought they had their lifeline with 74 minutes on the clock but their hope was quickly snatched away.

Substitute Jeremy Balmy strode forward and played a sublime through ball to James Brophy in the penalty area but after he went to ground whilst challenged by Tom Aldred, referee David Webb firmly denied the shouts for the spot-kick by instantly reaching for his pocket and booking the Town full-back for diving.

And there was little more to shout about for Town, barring a spattering of late pressure, as they departed the seaside with that sinking feeling.

SWINDON TOWN: Lawrence Vigouroux, Bradley Barry, Raphel Branco (C), Jordan Turnbull, James Brophy, Yaser Kasim, Louis Thompson , Fabien Robert (Jermaine Hylton 21), Henrik Ojamaa (Jeremy Balmy 67), Nicky Ajose, Jonathan Obika.

Subs not used: Tyrell Belford, Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill, Drissa Traore, Momar Bangoura, Anton Rodgers.

Referee: David Webb