Swindon Town 0 - Leeds United 1 (From Swindon Advertiser)

Swindon Town 0 - Leeds United 1

8:32am Monday 3rd March 2008 in

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LEEDS United happily played the role of Dick Turpin at the County Ground but one of their wounded Town victims is adamant they can still snatch the ultimate prize.

Maurice Malpas' analogy of likening Leeds to the infamous highwayman showed his understandable frustrations, after seeing his Robins side dominate with no reward on Saturday.

But midfielder Craig Easton insists an eight-point gap to the play-offs leaves them far from down and out and is calling on Saturday's bumper crowd to return to SN1 and help Town snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Had Simon Cox showed his usual clinical finishing we would not have been talking about Leeds' daylight robbery, but his wayward header from just two-yards late in the first half proved to be the costly moment.

Before then Tresor Kandol's bullet header had given the visitors a 25th-minute lead. From there in on, Town were the only team in it, but poor finishing and a lack of end product left a bumper County Ground faithful frustrated once more.

Easton said: "They had one chance and I don't think Phil had a great deal to do apart from that. I think the wind spoiled the game a wee bit as well but of course we are disappointed we did not take anything from it.

"I have seen teams come here and have three or four chances. If a team gets just once chance in a game that is always going to happen but unfortunately they have stuck it in. It was a really good header.

"That could have been the turning point today with the fact it was Leeds. They are just a League One team though and there will probably be better teams coming here to play this season.

"It could have been the catalyst with the amount of fans we got in here. Today could have been the day but we look at Tuesday now and if we can win that and go on a run then who knows. The play-offs are certainly not gone yet."

Malpas stuck with the same side that drew at Oldham on Tuesday but was quickly called into action, replacing the injured Patrick Kanyuka with Jerel Ifil in the heart of defence.

Questions will rightly be asked as to how Kandol was given so much space to head home David Prutton's driven cross, leaving Phil Smith no chance, but how Leeds hung on to the points remains a mystery.

Cox's close-range header was the most obvious miss but Christian Roberts and Billy Paynter were also guilty of spurning scoreable opportunities.

Easton said: "It is all about those ifs and buts. If Coxy puts that in and if Robbo gets a better connection - that is football I suppose.

"Tuesday is another opportunity at home though and we really need it if we are to get back on a run. If we have any play-off aspirations it is going to have to start Tuesday night against Huddersfield.

"There was a brilliant amount of people and hopefully we can get them back on Tuesday night.

"It was a great atmosphere and the sort we want to be playing in every week."