RICHIE Wellens believes a resolute defensive performance can help Swindon Town’s players cast any doubts or anxieties in their own penalty area aside, following today’s 1-0 win away at Port Vale.

Elijah Adebayo scored a poacher’s goal with just 10 minutes played to secure Wellens his first win as Town boss and promote Swindon to 14th in the League Two table.

Despite leaving Vale Park with mixed feelings following Town’s turbulent second half showing, Wellens heaped praise on his back four and late substitute Olly Lancashire – who helped the visitors deny Vale an equaliser in the 10 minutes of stoppage time at the end of the second half.

Wellens said: “I’m still a little bit frustrated.

“We were good in the first half, just a little bit away from being very good – we should’ve ended the half two or three goals up.

“The second half wasn’t football for me. Everytime the ball was given away, we knew it was going in the box.

“For all our deficiencies last week where we didn’t have to defend much but we switched off, today we had to defend a lot.

“Credit to the boys at the back and the goalkeeper (Lawrence Vigouroux). They put their bodies on the line when it was needed.”

Swindon passed the ball around in midfield and moved into the final third well in the opening half of today’s contest.

And that to some extent remained a constant in the second 45. However slight nervousness on the ball and rushed clearances must be removed from Town’s traits if they are to compete with the division’s top teams, according to Wellens.

He added: “When we get the ball, I would like us to be a bit more composed.

“Sometimes I want us to pass the ball and back them into positions so that when the ball does turnover they are spread.

“We turned the ball over too quickly, and we knew the ball was going straight into the box where they had three or four bodies.

“In terms of the effort and application, I was very pleased.

“I witnessed signs in the week that we can do a bit in terms of our movement – and we witnessed that in the first half.

“However, it is a bit frustrating we couldn’t pick them off and get a second.”