SWINDON Town maintained the club’s unbeaten away run in League Two with a hard-fought 2-1 victory away at Sutton United on Tuesday night.

Ben Garner’s men emerged brightly at Gander Green Lane and went two goals ahead in the first half thanks to efforts from Louis Reed and Jonny Williams.

A controversial penalty for Sutton was calmly slotted away by Harry Beautyman just before the break, and a goalless second 45 – thanks to the efforts of both goalkeepers – saw Swindon travel back to Wiltshire having moved back up to third.

Swindon boss Ben Garner made three changes to the side that drew 2-2 with Rochdale on Saturday. There was a change in goal as Jojo Wollacott replaced Lewis Ward, while Mathieu Baudry came in for Dion Conroy and Williams started ahead of Ben Gladwin.

After a lengthy absence due to international duty, Anthony Grant was selected on the bench for Town. For Sutton, former Town man Will Randall started in attack.

A frenetic first half began with an explosion of action - Town went close in the second minute after Tyreece Simpson was found up front, but it slipped away from him and towards Harry McKirdy on the half volley. He struck towards Dean Bouzanis, but the stopper turned it out for a corner.

Town took the corner quickly and Williams slipped a pass through to Jack Payne, but his shot from inside the box was blocked really well by Ben Goodliffe. Up the other end, David Ajiboye saw a mazy solo run end without success.

The near-capacity crowd would not have to wait too long for the game’s first goal, however, and it was Town who got it after Williams was fouled 20 yards out in a central position. Reed stepped up and placed his free-kick over the wall and past a helpless Bouzanis. The Sutton goalkeeper just stood flat-footed as the ball zipped past him.

Moments later, it should have been two for Town after Simpson showed nice footwork to create a shooting opportunity, only to pass it towards McKirdy. The Sutton defender missed his kick, Ben Wyatt, and McKirdy poked goalwards but could only find the outside of the post.

Payne and McKirdy got in each other’s way when attacking a Simpson cross in the 27th minute as Town continued controlling proceedings.

Town did double their lead after half an hour anyway. Williams, who had looked really lively up to that point, cut in onto his right and whipped a piledriver into the top corner from 25 yards - again, past a flat-footed Bouzanis.

The visitors were brought back down to earth in the 37th minute though. Moments after surviving a potential handball shout, referee Chris Sarginson awarded Sutton a penalty for an identical incident on Baudry after advice from his linesman.

Beautyman stepped up to calmly slot the penalty home and give Sutton a lifeline back into the game.

The home side came flying out of the traps at the break and set about hunting the equaliser – they almost found it too in the 50th minute when Beautyman sliced a quickly-taken corner wide from inside the box.

As the hosts continued to pile on the pressure, Town almost snatched a third in the 57th minute. Reed latched onto a mis-controlled pass by Ajiboye, and he immediately slipped a pass through to McKirdy one-on-one.

As McKirdy attempted to go around Bouzanis, the goalkeeper made a vital tackle to dispossess McKirdy and deny Town a certain third.

Sutton went extremely close to equalising on the hour mark after Beautyman lined up a free-kick 20 yards out, slightly right of centre. Beautyman's strike was a wonderful one, and appeared to be in, but sailed narrowly wide of Wollacott's left-hand post.

With 20 minutes to play, Sutton were handed something of a blow in their chances of scoring an equaliser as their man of the match, Beautyman was forced off with what looked to be a dislocated shoulder.

As time ticked on, Town substitute Ben Gladwin slipped a pass through to McKirdy, but once again Bouzanis denied him one-on-one. Moments later, the Sutton stopper parried away a powerful Gladwin strike from the edge of the area.

As both teams tired, chances came along at a less frequent rate – only Ajiboye’s powerful, low shot straight at Wollacott interrupted a quiet 10-minute period late on.

With six minutes of added time underway, Randell delivered from a free-kick on the right, and Joe Kizzi got there first for Sutton, but he headed straight at Wollacott.

That was to be the final chance for either side as Swindon saw the game out calmly to clinch all three points.

SUFC starting XI: Bouzanis, Kizzi, Goodliffe, John, Wyatt, Beautyman, Smith, Randall, Ajiboye, Olaofe, Bugiel.

SUBS: Palmer, Barden, Rowe, Boldewijn, Korboa, Wilson, Bennett.

STFC starting XI: Wollacott, Odimayo, Iandolo, Crichlow, Baudry, Simpson, Payne, McKirdy, Williams, Hunt, Reed.

SUBS: Ward, Gladwin, Mitchell-Lawson, Gilbert, Kesler-Hayden, East, Grant.