CONFIDENCE, belief and spirit – key traits required if any football team is to experience success at any level.

And you can be sure that Swindon Town’s team coach was brimming with all of the above when making the journey back south following Saturday’s 2-1 win at Meadow Lane against Notts County – a game which for so long looked to be heading in the home side’s advantage.

Winless in six League Two games, any talk of ‘positive work on the training ground’ was perhaps hard for the typical supporter to grasp – especially considering the club’s concerning goal drought.

And while excuses can be made by County regarding both of Town’s goals, Phil Brown’s men ultimately found the back of the net. Like buses – not one, but two.

A lacklustre second-half display by Harry Kewell’s home side certainly helped Swindon establish a strong foothold in the game prior to both goals.

Goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux should receive great praise for his performance between the posts – without which, Town would likely have been two or three goals down by half-time.

Four points from three games against teams all out of the play-off frame over the past eight days cannot be viewed as a successful haul, however Town head into next weekend’s away trip to Colchester United with belief and knowledge that they can perform when pulling together.

The decision to select Martin Smith and Jak McCourt in midfield had its positives and negatives as Brown shuffled his pack quite considerably.

Options on both wings in recent games – Elijah Adebayo and Keshi Anderson – were both dropped, with Jermaine McGlashan instead getting his chance.

Doubts will continue to be cast over the form of striker Marc Richards, though, who again ended his game goalless despite featuring for 80 minutes.

Brown opted to make five changes to the team that lost at home against Cambridge United in the week.

Previously suspended Sid Nelson returned to the back four while McCourt, Smith and James Dunne were granted spots in midfield.

McGlashan also returned to the starting XI after impressing from the bench in recent fixtures.

County made the brighter start when midfielder Kane Hemmings was granted time and space on the edge of Town’s penalty area before unleashing a powerful shot in search of Vigouroux’s top left corner.

The Chile international pushed Hemmings’ effort wide, though, before a similar strike by Enzio Boldewijn was again pushed wide.

Town’s first chance of the game came with 10 minutes played when Dunne’s floating ball into the County penalty area was met by the right foot of Richards but his ambitious volley was hit wide of Ross Fitzsimons’ left post.

Boldewijn continued to cause Swindon issues on the right when he skipped past Town left-back Matt Taylor before shooting powerfully in search of the opener.

Vigouroux made a well-timed save low to his left to force a corner, from which Lewis Alessandra’s ambitious strike following a clearance was hit over Town’s crossbar.

County striker Jon Stead was next to challenge Vigouroux. Stead momentarily lost marker Olly Lancashire on the edge of the area before his 20-yard strike was pushed wide, Vigouroux’s fourth key save of the game with only 25 minutes played.

Late pressure in defence denied the hosts on 31 minutes as Elliott Hewitt and Stead linked up on the edge of Town’s penalty area, before a neat backheel found Matt Tootle – who struck his effort over Vigouroux’s crossbar.

Swindon’s chance to poach the game’s lead came just a minute later after Michael Doughty’s low cross from the left was fumbled by Taylor before Smith latched onto the loose ball on the edge of the six-yard box.

Smith’s strike was blocked before McCourt’s follow-up effort also cannoned off the County defence.

Town were again unfortunate not to find the net when Smith’s free header from a Doughty corner was hit wide.

The visitors’ encouraging spell was short-lived, though, as Hemmings got onto the end of a cross from the left – beating his marker and Vigouroux’s reach to put the home side ahead.

A heated concluding five minutes of the first half was capped when Nelson was booked for pushing County’s Hewitt over in and off-the-ball incident following a free-kick in Town’s favour.

The half-time whistle perhaps came at a timely moment for Brown’s side, who were largely outplayed in the opening 45 minutes.

County goalscorer Hemmings should’ve doubled the home side’s advantage with only three minutes on the second-half clock.

The Magpies forward hesitated upon receiving the ball Vigouroux claimed the effort.

Hemmings’ accurate through ball from the left then found Stead on the edge of Town’s area, a blocked shot forced a corner – which the visitors comfortably handled.

The home side’s left winger continued to cause Town’s defence issues when he broke free close to the penalty spot shortly before Tootle delivered a cross from the right.

Hemmings struck his effort over Vigouroux’s crossbar – Town again counting themselves fortunate as the hosts missed another clear-cut chance.

Not making the most of such chances soon cost the hosts as substitute Steven Alzate levelled the game with a clinical finish from outside of the penalty area on 64 minutes.

With options to his left and right, Alzate opted to shoot from range with County’s defensive line backtracking. His decision paid off as Fitzsimons was unable to reach Alzate’s effort, which was buried into the bottom left corner.

The pendulum swung further into Swindon’s favour with 10 minutes remaining when Taylor’s cross took a fortuitous rebound to find the back of Fitzsimons’ net, reversing Town’s one-goal deficit into a lead.

Chances for the hosts were limited in the concluding minutes, although Boldewijn’s close-range strike in injury time was blocked by Nelson.

Swindon’s patience paid off as Ross Joyce sounded the full-time whistle with Town claiming a hard-fought three points.