TRIALLIST Josh Parker grasped his opportunity with both hands by finding the net for Swindon Town’s Development side as they drew 1-1 with an experienced Cheltenham Town outfit this afternoon.

The 26-year-old former Oxford United frontman, who has also featured for Oldham Athletic as well as Aberdeen and Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade, scored a second-half equaliser to cancel out Dan Holman’s first-half penalty at Cheltenham’s training ground, based in the ironically-named Swindon Village suburb.

The hosts’ starting line-up have amassed 200 first-team appearances between themselves so far this season and they were skippered by full first-team captain Aaron Downes while Swindon included the likes of Conor Thomas, Sean Murray, Tom Smith, Jordan Stewart, Jake Evans, Jordan Young and Will Henry for their fifth Central League fixture of 2016-17.

Cheltenham threatened first through striker Holman, who robbed Mason Hathaway of the ball before drawing a save from Will Henry, while at the other end, young Town defender Christian Frimpong saw his firm header from a Murray corner kept out by home custodian Calum Kitscha.

The dangerous Holman fired narrowly over the bar and his team-mate James Dayton headed wide before the former went down over the sliding challenge of Evans just inside the Town area in the 35th minute.

The visitors’ protestations were waved away by the referee and Holman, who scored in Cheltenham’s League Two clash with Plymouth Argyle last weekend, nestled the resultant spot-kick in the bottom right-hand corner, despite Henry getting a hand to the effort.

Swindon went into the break trailing but they were back on level terms just two minutes into the second period.

Murray’s slide-rule pass put winger Young in behind the Robins defence and despite being forced wide, he was able to play a low pass into the feet of the arriving Parker, who fired home at the second attempt after seeing his initial effort cleared off the line by a scrambling defender.

As the second period wore on, Young accidently caused the early exit of Cheltenham full-back Jordan Cranston, who had to be stretchered off with dizziness after taking the force of an attempted chip pass from the Swindon teenager straight to the face.

With around 20 minutes to go, Henry was called into action to tip a dipping Dayton effort over the crossbar and he then produced an excellent double-save from the resultant corner-kick.

In the final 10 minutes, Town’s Murray hit a swerving strike that just cleared the Cheltenham bar and then attempted to beat Kitscha at his near post but the home keeper stood strong.

Kitscha saved his best work for the final minutes however, the Robins goalie flinging himself into the air to spectacularly claw away a volley from Evans that was destined for the top corner.

SWINDON TOWN DEVELOPMENT: Will Henry, Jake Evans, Louis Spalding (Paolo Giamettei 41), Conor Thomas, Christian Frimpong, Mason Hathaway (Ollie Rejek 76), Jordan Young (Sol Pryce 81), Tom Smith (Jordan Edwards 76), Josh Parker, Sean Murray, Jordan Stewart.

Subs not used: Declan Lehmann.