Swindon Town 2 - Notts Forest 1 (From Swindon Advertiser)

Swindon Town 2 - Notts Forest 1

8:34am Monday 21st January 2008 in Sport By Andy Cryer

TURNING up late for your new manager's first game in charge is never the best of first impressions - especially with a couple of other strikers champing at the bit for a regular role.

But by the end of the afternoon, even a fine for getting stuck in traffic could not wipe the smile off Billy Paynter's face as he proved to boss Maurice Malpas he can be the man to fire Town towards the League One play-offs.

Without a goal since early November, the arrival of Moses Ashikodi from Watford and Barry Corr completing his three-match ban would understandably have had Paynter looking nervously over his shoulder.

But, while his luck in front of goal did not change, his tireless 90-minute stint will have calmed any anger at his late arrival and proved to Malpas there was not a lot wrong with Town's older striking options.

As it was some superlative Paul Smith goalkeeping and a dubious disallowed goal left the hosts needing two own goals to clinch victory, but their high-flying visitors could have no complaints after being out-played and out-battled on a rain-sodden County Ground surface.

Paynter said: "My day started off badly because I was late.

"There was traffic and I have said to myself what have I done to deserve this but at least it got better later on.

"I got a fine but it is one of those things. I was only coming in from Priory Vale but it is always the traffic, it is never my fault.

"There is healthy competition for the striking roles now. Moses has come in, while Barry is available again Tuesday but that is good for the team and for spirits.

"I am not going to give up my place easily though."

On the back of a six-match unbeaten run, Malpas opted to put new signings Ashikodi and Anthony McNamee on the substitutes bench, with Paynter and Blair Sturrock continuing their blossoming partnership in attack.

With Forest clearly not fancying the slippery conditions, it was Town who started the game the stronger and, to many people's surprise, retained that domination for the entire game.

Paynter was denied twice from close range by the alert Smith before James Perch headed Jon-Paul McGovern's brilliant left wing free kick into his own net for the opener.

The former Port Vale man continued to be jinxed after the break, curling a 20-yard strike into the top corner only for referee Mr Thorpe to pull play back and hand Swindon an unwanted free kick.

That looked costly as Luke Chambers headed home an equaliser on 64 minutes but, made of stern stuff this campaign, the hosts hit back with Ian Breckin gifting them a deserved victory.

Since firing in six goals in his first 10 appearances, after signing from Southend in August, Paynter has now gone 12 appearances without hitting the net, but he insists there is no cause for undue panic.

He said: "I thought the first two chances the keeper came out well and closed the angles quickly. Maybe I could have dinked it but the one I have stuck in the net I just wish the ref could have played on a bit longer.

"He has blown at the wrong time. I won't let that dampen my spirits though. The main part is I want to be playing well and working hard for the team. The goals will come.

"I am confident I can score goals but it is the luck I need now. Blair has hit one and it has stuck on the line but with our second goal it looked like it was going to stick for me to put in but it crept over.

"Things are looking good but that is just one game. It is how you get on for the rest of the season. But Forest are a very good side, a good squad and we outbattled them and deserved the victory."

With Ashikodi helping create Town's winner during a lively cameo and a bid still in for Reading's Simon Cox, the attacking options at the County Ground suddenly look very appealing.

While with Jon-Paul McGovern and Sofi Zaaboub in effective form on the flanks, and Christian Roberts and McNamee able deputies in reserve, a lack of service should not be much of a problem.

Forget the appalling conditions as well. Town did not simply out battle their football playing opponents on Saturday, they also passed the ball better than a star-studded Forest.