IF YOU thought topping the League Two table with a third of the season completed was good, pause and get your head around this statistic.

Saturday’s win at Salford City confirmed Swindon Town as the only team in the English Football League to have beaten all 90 fellow members spread across four tiers.

That’s right, from the dizzy heights of Liverpool to the cockle-sand beaches of Morecambe – Swindon Town have beaten them all.

As a Town fan, this is a great stat to have in your arsenal – they were conquered too in 1969, you know – when you find yourself embroiled in the typically laddish end-of-month payday debate down the local.

In all seriousness, the stat defines Swindon’s turbulent trait that gathered pace in the mid-1980s.

Four promotions in eight years – well, technically three because of a financial mishap in 1990 – saw the club reach its ultimate peak by appearing in the Premier League.

But only two seasons after welcoming top tier giants Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United to the County Ground, Town were instead hosting Wrexham, Carlisle and Bristol Rovers.

A gradual slip ‘n’ slide down the divisions saw Swindon hit the Football League’s basement tier in 2006.

Though Town sit top of the League Two table, you’d be naïve to suggest the club is on the up again after witnessing the opening 18 rounds of 2019-20 League Two fixtures.

Eighteen league games – to put that into perspective, that’s 0.016 per cent of the league games Swindon have played since their relegation from the Premier League was confirmed.

Football is a constantly evolving game – Paul Caddis’ words to the Adver off the back of Saturday’s win at Salford underline that.

And Richie Wellens’ squad evolution could be defined in the coming months.

Arguably, three of his most dependable players are in on loan – Eoin Doyle, Jerry Yates and Anthony Grant.

Doyle scored twice again at the weekend - will parent club Bradford want him back in their team as soon as possible (January)?

Or could they be tempted by a cash injection? Could Town be bullied into a corner where they are forced to pay up or lose a key cog to their promotion wheel?

Of course, all of these questions will be answered in the coming months.

But take nothing away from what was a stellar first ever performance against Salford. Wellens’ tactical tweak – that saw Swindon adopt a 4-3-3 formation – worked a treat.

Full of confidence Steven Benda might have conceded an early penalty, but the Swansea kid proved his worth at this level with a number of eye-catching runs to cut out the dangerous Adam Rooney.

Defensively, Swindon coped with City’s ‘land of the giants’ approach.

In midfield, Michael Doughty possessed that flair we all became accustom to last season, and the hard-working Anthony Grant just didn’t quite know when to stop.

Little needs to be said about Eoin Doyle or Jerry Yates – the on-loan pair again starred. And Kaiyne Woolery delivered a marked improvement compared to his FA Cup show at Cheltenham a week earlier.

Tomorrow’s FA Cup visit of Cheltenham could be a hinderance, but fans’ ‘promotion party’ continued for another week. Next up, Mansfield.

Wellens made three changes to his side that defeated Walsall a fortnight ago – Town’s previous League Two game.

Two changes were forced – Keshi Anderson (injury) and Dion Donohue (end of contract) were absent while Diallang Jaiyesimi was dropped to the bench.

In came Ellis Iandolo, Kaiyne Woolery and Jordan Lyden – new recruit Paul Caddis featured on the bench.

It took Salford minutes to score after a confident Benda tripped Rooney in the penalty area following the ‘keeper’s poor first touch that granted City’s striker an eye on goal.

Four minutes in, one goal down.

But the game’s focal point went from one Irishman to another.

After Lyden superbly - and bravely - won possession from Threlkeld just inside the hosts’ half, Doughty proceeded with the ball before picking out the well-placed Doyle.

Doyle shot first time with his weaker foot from eight yards out at a slight angle to bury Town’s first effort into Neal’s bottom left corner – 1-1.

Doyle could’ve added two more before half time, but his pair of first half stoppage time efforts were frustratingly blocked as both teams entered the tunnel level.

The level score didn’t last long, though. And it was Doyle again – his 16th goal of the season.

This time he leathered a penalty kick into the roof of Neal’s net after Yates’ powerful shot was judged to have been handled by home skipper Hogan.

Yates bagged a goal of his own to wrap up Town’s 10th win of the season – Rooney’s stoppage time penalty was only consolation.