SWINDON Town were held to a draw at home by 10-man Grimsby Town this afternoon as they spurned the chance to make it three League Two wins in succession.

The home side were on the front foot for long spells at the Energy Check County Ground, but needed the dismissal of Grimsby defender Ludvig Ohman just after the hour mark to make that count on the scoreboard.

Loan striker Theo Robinson swiftly broke the deadlock from close range, netting for the second home game in succession.

However, Richie Wellens’ side were then caught cold as Luke Hendrie lashed home an instant leveller for the visitors.

Swindon attempted to raise their game in the closing stages, but found their hopes for a winning goal thwarted by a robust rear-guard effort from the Mariners, and they had to make do with a point when three was what had been required in order to further enhance their late push for the play-offs.

The hosts were in the ascendancy from the kick-off and called Grimsby keeper James McKeown into action twice in the opening two minutes.

First, Robinson nipped the ball off toe of central defender Ohman, allowing Kaiyne to Woolery crack in a snap-shot that McKeown did well to palm over.

Grimsby then failed to deal properly with the resulting corner and when the ball broke back into the box, the Mariners keeper was alert again to rush from his line and save at the feet of Keshi Anderson.

Swindon were in again shortly afterwards when Kyle Bennett pounced on more loose play from the visitors around their own box to send Robinson towards goal. Although he was able to round the on-rushing McKeown, Harry Davis did well to recover to block the shot.

After a frantic opening, the contest began to settle down, but the home side remained on top and were next to threaten on the 20-minute mark when Jak McCourt’s drilled free-kick from the left-hand edge of the box was punched away by McKeown from underneath his own crossbar.

The midway point of the first half had passed before Grimsby were able to threaten themselves, although when they did, they were only denied the opening goal by a smart stop from Luke McCormick.

Wes Thomas pounced on confusion between Swindon central defenders Dion Conroy and Tom Broadbent underneath a high ball to lay off to Elliot Embleton in the box, but his drilled effort to the near post was batted behind by McCormick.

That looked to be as good as the entertainment was going to get throughout the second half of the opening 45 minutes as a lengthy lacklustre spell devoid of chances in front of goal then unfolded.

However, that all changed deep into first-half stoppage time when a gilt-edged opportunity to break the deadlock was spurned by the home side.

After huffing and puffing without ever really threatening, Swindon finally caught out the Mariners’ back-line again just as they had done in opening skirmishes, with Woolery beating the offside trap to run in on goal.

The Swindon striker slowly side-stepped his way around the advancing McKeown, only to delay his shot too long and allow the visitors to regroup and snuff out the chance as the two teams headed back to the changing rooms with the stalemate still intact.

Swindon were again quick out of the blocks after the restart and Bennett attempted to test out the reactions of McKeown inside the opening 30 seconds with a powerful effort from outside the box. The Mariners stopper was alert, though, and scrambled down to his left to push the strike behind.

The home side remained on top and Robinson climbed highest to meet a McCourt corner after 55 minutes, but after leaving the Grimsby defence rooted to the floor, the Town frontman could not keep his powerful header down.

Wellens’ men had to be alert on the counter and looked to have been opened up on the hour mark when Jordan Cook burst through the middle, but he opted to shoot from the edge of the box under pressure from the chasing Broadbent and the save was comfortable for McCormick.

Swindon were then given a huge platform to finally wrestle control of the contest when Grimsby were reduced to 10 men midway through the second half.

Having already been booked in the first period, Ohman cut across the charging Woolery with a cynical body-check just outside the box, leaving referee Neil Hair no choice but to brandish a second yellow card.

The home side needed only seven minutes to make that advantage count as Robinson finally broke the Mariners’ resistance.

Conroy swung a beautifully-weighted cross into the box from the right and although Robinson saw his header saved by McKeown, the Grimsby stopper could only push it back into the path of the Town striker, who coolly volleyed home.

However, the lead lasted a matter of minutes as Grimsby drew level from their next attack. Elliot Embleton lofted the ball in from the left and Hendrie ghosted in at the back post to rifle past McCormick.

The contest had suddenly burst into life and only the woodwork prevented Swindon from instantly reclaiming their lead as Woolery saw a flicked effort from an Ali Koiki cross cannon off the far post and bounce away to safety.

Grimsby then spurned a gilt-edged chance of their own when the home side opted to leave a long punt forward from McKeown, allowing Kristian Dennis to race in one-on-one with McCormick, but he blazed harmlessly over the bar.

Swindon galvanised themselves for one last push in search of a winner in stoppage time, but a neat Koiki run ended with a shot that was well saved by McKeown and time soon ran out on the hosts as they had to make do with a draw.

SWINDON TOWN (4-2-3-1): McCormick; Knoyle, Conroy, Broadbent (c), Koiki; Carroll, McCourt (Dunne 85); Bennett (Richards 85), Anderson, Woolery; Robinson. Subs not used: Henry, Iandolo, Diagouraga, Woolfenden, Bancroft.

GRIMSBY TOWN (3-5-2): McKeown; Davis, Ohman, Collins (c) (Dennis 75); Hendrie, Hessenthaler, Embleton, Woolford (Clifton 59), Ring; Cook (Whitmore 68), Thomas. Subs not used: Hall-Johnson, Cardwell, Vernham, Russell.

Referee: Neil Hair

Attendance: 6,434 (570 away)