SWINDON Town head coach Ben Garner believes his team would have gone on to beat Crawley Town on Tuesday night had the hosts grabbed an equaliser earlier than the 92nd minute.

An impressive first half an hour by Swindon without a reward for their efforts subsided as John Yems’ men burrowed their way back into the contest.

The Red Devils then took the lead via a penalty five minutes before the break and prepared to bunker down and hold on to what they had in the second half.

Garner’s team showed no lack of endeavour to try and find an equaliser – something they eventually did in fortuitous circumstances well inside added time.

With a couple more chances passing by even after equalising, the Swindon boss felt it could have been three points instead of just one if the goal had come a little earlier.

He said: “I didn’t think we played quickly enough in the second half, if I’m honest. They changed shape, so where the spaces are on the pitch naturally changes.

“I thought we got a bit tentative, took an extra touch, and made sure of things rather than just trusting it and playing the ball a bit quicker.

“We definitely weren’t as fluid in the second half as we were in the first, but the amount of space they reduced the pitch to with their low block made it difficult to play through.

“We pushed and pushed, and then we got the goal. If we had got the goal earlier, we would have gone on and won. It was just a case of running out of time.”

The fact the equaliser perhaps did not come earlier in the game seemed to be down to Swindon’s lack of finesse in the final third.

Although the hosts had 20 shots at goal, only four hit the target. Garner admitted his team need to improve on their past two outings going forward.

He said: “We almost scored in the first minute of the game, we’ve had further opportunities, we’ve had balls flash across goal, and set-pieces.

“That final bit is the hardest bit in the game, and that’s why the top forwards and the top players in the game go for the money that they do and earn the money that they do.

“We have a way of playing to get the ball into those areas, but in the last two games we haven’t been good enough in the final third.

“But if we keep getting there and doing the right thing, that will turn in our favour.”