SUBSTITUTE Luke Jephcott scored a stoppage-time goal to rescue a point for Swindon Town in a 1-1 draw with Bradford City on Tuesday night.

In a game where Town were the better side for much of the second half, and the first 15 minutes of the first, a point was perhaps the least Scott Lindsey’s men deserved at the University of Bradford Stadium.

Tyreik Wright’s 31st-minute goal put the Bantams in front before a late penalty decision presented Jephcott with the chance to snatch a point. The striker saw his tame penalty saved before tapping in the rebound.

Town made three changes to the side which beat Hartlepool United 2-1 on Saturday. Mathieu Baudry, Ronan Darcy, and Jephcott all dropped to the bench while Ellis Iandolo, Ricky Aguiar, and Ciaran Brennan replaced them from the start.

Meanwhile, Bradford remained unchanged from the side which drew 0-0 at Grimsby Town at the weekend. Ex-Town loanee Romoney Crichlow started, while former midfielder Ryan East started on the bench.

It was Swindon who made the better of the early running at the University of Bradford Stadium, although there were no clear chances for either side until the 13th minute. Remeao Hutton hung a cross up from the right, and Aguiar headed straight at Harry Lewis in the Bantams’ goal.

But in the 16th minute, Swindon’s luck took a turn for the worst. Frazer Blake-Tracy clashed heads with Dion Pereira, and the former was forced off to be replaced by Tyrese Shade.

From that moment, the remainder of the first period belonged to Mark Hughes’ men. Wright hammered a long-range shot towards goal that Sol Brynn needed to tip over, and from the resulting corner Andy Cook headed off target. Harry Chapman missed the bottom corner of both sides of the net by inches shortly after.

But with Bradford beginning to take control of the contest, the home side turned that pressure into a tangible asset in the 31st minute. Wright was found on the left edge of the box before steadying himself and lasering a shot into the bottom right corner past Brynn.

After Chapman had headed wide and Dion Pereira had powered a curling effort over, Town had the last good chance of the opening period. City gave it away cheaply in midfield and Jacob Wakeling broke forward before a nudge knocked him off balance as he reached the box. Ben Gladwin took over, but under pressure he could only curl straight at Lewis.

The visitors started the second half as they had done in the first – on top. Gladwin perhaps should have done better with a headed effort from a Williams corner, and moments later Wakeling hammered low at Lewis, forcing the stopper to kick away with his feet.

As Swindon continued to pose a threat, Khan pushed a defender off him before slipping a pass through to Wakeling. A superb roll from the striker saw him running at the Bantams' back line, but his shot just skirted wide of the left post.

Up the other end, a Richie Smallwood corner was pummelled at goal on the volley by Chapman from the edge of the box, but Brynn was right behind it to deny him. Moments later, the Swindon stopper had to be alert to deny Pereira down low with a close-range attempt.

Midway through the second period, Swindon almost found the equaliser after Gladwin slipped a lovely ball down the channel for Hutton to run onto. The ball came in low towards Wakeling, but Matt Platt was back there to shovel over his own bar.

Inside the final 20 minutes, Wakeling hammered off target, and substitute Tyrese Shade could only head straight at Lewis from a deep Gladwin cross as Jephcott was sent on for a final roll of the dice with around 10 minutes remaining.

That roll proved lucky for Lindsey as a stoppage-time penalty decision for handball gifted Jephcott the chance to take some reward home for the visitors. His penalty was woeful, down to Lewis’ left, but the rebound fell so kindly and Jephcott was able to volley into the net.

BCFC starting XI: Lewis, Halliday, Platt, Smallwood (c), Cook, Gilliead, Foulds, Chapman, Crichlow, Pereira, Wright.

BCFC substitutes: Doyle, Songo'o, Angol, Banks, East, Oliver, Harratt.

STFC starting XI: Brynn, Hutton, Iandolo, Clayton, Gladwin, Williams, Aguiar, Blake-Tracy, Khan, Wakeling, Brennan.

STFC substitutes: Brann, Reed, Baudry, Darcy, Jephcott, Shade, Roberts.

Attendance: 16,728 (357)

Referee: Jeremy Simpson