SWINDON Town boss Phil Brown had few words of criticism for his side last night, despite crashing out of the Carabao Cup at the first stage after being downed 1-0 by Forest Green Rovers.

A second-half strike from Tahvon Campbell against the flow of play was the only goal to separate both teams as Town’s League Cup run was ended prematurely.

While Brown admitted there is cause for concern about the lack of chances being taken, the 59-year-old emphasised that his men did little wrong during last night’s game.

A debatable elbow to the face of Olly Lancashire granted the visitors the opportunity to score their only goal, and Brown again questioned the quality of some of the game’s officiating.

He said: “I don’t think it went wrong. I look at the game on its merits and we’ve had nine shots on target. But then we were unhinged by an official that hasn’t witnessed an elbow in my centre-half’s face.

“I’ve said before I want a defender that will bleed and get stitches – Olly Lancashire has put his head in and got an elbow to his face. My young centre-half has then panicked instead of clearing his lines and the ball ended up in the back of our net.

“I’m absolutely devastated for the young lads in the changing room that must think there must be another way of winning a game of football.

“What we did was enough to win a game of football.”

Forest Green’s goal sparked a change in the way the game was played as the visitors appeared happy to sit behind the ball and deny Town any chances of breaking through the defence.

The Town boss concluded his troops looked to forward Elijah Adebayo too quickly, and instead they should look to string passes together when attempting to break into the box.

“Goals change games, when they start to shut shop we started to go to Elijah (Adebayo) too quickly,” said Brown.

“I know what I’ve witnessed tonight, and I hope the Swindon Town fans have witnessed the same thing.

“I’m feeling for the players, because I know what it’s like to try and mould a new group together – and I’m not using that as an excuse.

“I firmly believe that it’s coming, I think the flow was stifled a little bit in the second half and we didn’t have the nous to break them down in the second half.

“That’s the only criticism I’ve got of my group, apart from one free header in the first half.”