Swindon Town 3 - Hereford 0 (From Swindon Advertiser)

Swindon Town 3 - Hereford 0

4:50pm Saturday 21st March 2009

• Print
• Email
• Comments(36)

By Anthony Marshall »

TOWN recorded their second 3-0 win of the week as they comprehensively saw off the challenge of relegation rivals Hereford at the County Ground.

Simon Cox scored his 23rd and 24th goals of the season to give Swindon a commanding lead, before Billy Paynter completed the scoring with a neat finish.

Danny Wilson's side were well worth the win, and the margin of the scoreline, against a Hereford side who appear consigned to League Two football next season.

The game wasn't without controversy, however, as Town's second goal should never have stood. Cox, clearly coming back from an offside position, back-heeled home with infamous referee Stuart Attwell amazingly allowing the effort.

The result increases Swindon's chances of avoiding the drop, and with games against Northampton and Yeovil coming up, they could be in an even healthier position next Saturday evening.

Here's the key moments from today's game:

11 mins: Town have the first shot of the afternoon. Hal Robson-Kanu picks the ball up wide on the right, cuts inside and tries his luck from 35 yards. But he blazes the ball high and wide.

17 mins: Billy Paynter finishes a decent passing move by curling in a 20-yard low effort, which Hereford keeper Peter Gulacsi does well to hold.

20 mins: Anthony McNamee fizzes a rising drive into the hands of Gulacsi from the corner of the penalty area.

22 mins: Robson-Kanu floats a ball to the far post where Simon Cox is unmarked following a slip by Dean Beckwith.

The front man fires in a volley which is going well wide until Paynter manages to connect from a couple of yards. Amazingly he sends the ball the wrong side of the upright but a linesman's flag spares his blushes.

26 mins (SUBSTITUTION): Jamie Vincent is replaced by Jack Smith. The left-back has been struggling for a few minutes, seemingly with a calf problem.

29 mins (GOAL 1-0 Cox): Town's leading scorer grabs his 23rd goal of the season. McNamee works a short corner with Kevin Amankwaah and sends a cross into the heart of the penalty area, where Cox rises from six yards to head home.

34 mins: A McNamee corner is only half-cleared but Amankwaah's half-volley from the edge of the box flies well over.

35 mins: Cox breaks down the left and feeds Paynter on the edge of the box. The striker fires an effort which Gulacsi has to make two attempts to save before finally smothering it.

37 mins: Hereford almost stun Swindon with a rare attack, but Steve Guinan's near post effort goes just the wrong side of the upright.

43 mins: A lovely flowing move involving Owain Tudur Jones and Cox ends with Robson-Kanu testing Gulacsi low down to his right.

46 mins (GOAL 2-0 Cox): Kevin Amankwaah's cross is only cleared as far as the edge of the box where Owain Tudur Jones fires in a bouncing half-volley.

Simon Cox is wandering back from inside the six-yard area and is at least three yards offside when he back-heels the ball past Gulacsi and into the bottom corner.

But, astonishingly, referee Stuart Attwell and his assistant allow the goal.

Hereford's players are understandably furious and surround the officials, but the goal stands.

57 mins: Timlin's ball into Cox is laid off for Robson-Kanu, whose fierce drive is superbly stopped by Gulacsi.

62 mins: This time a linesman's flag does rule out a Town goal. Cox latches on to Jack Smith's cross and sees his shot fumbled by Gulacsi.

Robson-Kanu, following up, prods it home but the flag is already raised.

68 mins: Robson-Kanu collects the ball on the right, jinks inside the challenge of Richard Rose and curls a left-footed effort which beats Gulacsi but rattles the far upright and bounces away to safety.

70 mins: Paynter is fed the ball with his back to goal, rolls the challenge of Dean Beckwith and shoots goalwards. However Gulacsi, again, prevents Swindon from increasing their lead.

73 mins (SUBSTITUTION): Hereford bring Ben Smith on to replace Sam Hewson in the middle of the park.

75 mins (SUBSTITUTION): Town boss Danny Wilson introduces Lilian Nalis for Owain Tudur Jones.

76 mins (GOAL 3-0 Paynter): Cox drives into the box, but a reluctance to shoot on his left foot sees him feed Robson-Kanu. The wideman takes his time before pulling the ball back to Paynter, who sidefoot's home.

77 mins (SUBSTITUTION): Hereford make another change as Simon Johnson comes on in place of Jack Macleod.

81 mins (SUBSTITUTION): Mark Marshall is introduced by Danny Wilson as McNamee makes way.

90 mins: Hereford almost grab a consolation. Guinan's knock-down is met by Febian Brandy from 20 yards and his half-volley flies into the side netting with Phil Smith at full stretch.

TOWN (4-4-2): Phil Smith; Kevin Amankwaah, Gordon Greer (c), Sean Morrison, Jamie Vincent (Jack Smith 26); Hal Robson-Kanu, Michael Timlin, Owain Tudur Jones (Lilian Nalis 75), Anthony McNamee (Mark Marshall 81); Simon Cox, Billy Paynter

Subs not used: Peter Brezovan, Blair Sturrock

HEREFORD (4-4-2): Peter Gulacsi; Richard Jackson, Darren Dennehy, Dean Beckwith, Richard Rose; Jack Macleod (Simon Johnson 77), Sam Hewson (Ben Smith 73), Toumani Diagouraga, Matthew Done; Febian Brandy, Steve Guinan (c)

Subs not used: Jose Viera, Karl Broadhurst, Sam Gwynne

Comments are closed on this article.