HEAD coach Ben Garner felt Swindon Town were “much the better side between both boxes” despite a 4-1 hammering away at Leyton Orient on Tuesday night.

Garner’s men enjoyed 62 per cent possession at the Breyer Group Stadium and went in level at half-time after Harry McKirdy had cancelled out Aaron Drinan’s opener.

But a second half where Kenny Jackett’s men took three of their four or five good chances consigned Swindon to just a fourth league defeat of the season.

Although Swindon were well beaten in score-line terms, Garner believes his team went toe to toe with play-off chasing Orient and could have come out with at least a point on another day.

The Town boss said: “I don’t think Orient were the better team in general play.

“I think their front two were excellent, and they defended their box better than we did ours. But between the two boxes, we were much the better side.

“I thought we played well in large spells, but they were ruthless.

“Like I said before the game, they punish mistakes. We’ve made too many, and we have to give credit to them with how ruthless and how clinical their front two were.”

The warning from Garner surrounding Leyton Orient’s threats were made abundantly clear in the build-up to the 4-1 thrashing, with the Town boss stating how ruthless the O’s are and how well they punish mistakes.

Yet despite the key points being spelt out to the Town players, Swindon conceded at least three of their four goals from individual errors.

Asked how frustrating it was that the players failed to heed his pre-match cautions, Garner said: “It’s frustrating because in the first half, apart from the goal they scored, I can’t remember much else apart from that. I don’t remember Jojo having a save to make.

“In the second half, we started reasonably well but we just shot ourselves in the foot in key moments.

“It wasn’t waves of pressure or being opened up, it was good delivery from them as well as good movement and good finishing on their past. We just didn’t defend well.”