SWINDON Town loanee Jonny Smith is longing for the day he can bag a goal at the County Ground and hear the roar of the crowd as the ball hits the net.

Town’s lone scorer in their League Cup defeat to Charlton on Saturday, Smith was one of few bright sparks for Richie Wellens men as Lee Bowyer’s Addicks progressed to the second round.

Reflecting on his competitive debut for Town, Smith said: “It was good to get out there and wear the Swindon Town shirt – it was a good experience for me.

“Obviously, I would have liked the fans in here but hopefully that will be soon.

“I thought the lads did well in parts, we just weren’t clinical enough. Overall, I thought it was a good performance.”

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, crowds are still currently banned from football grounds.

When asked how the lack of noise affected the team during their cup defeat and in the moments after Smith’s goal, the 23-year-old said: “You can hear the manager a lot more, you can hear his instructions, so that’s good for us because he’s got a lot of knowledge and he knows the game.

“But there’s nothing else like when you score in front of the fans, the buzz you get, so that’s what I missed when I scored – I didn’t know what to do.

“I ran towards the corner, but obviously there was no one there.

“I love playing at home in front of the fans, I think every footballer loves playing in front of their own fans.

“I played at the County Ground last season for Oldham when it was packed out and the fans were really special here, so to play in front of them is something I can’t wait for.”