SWINDON Town booked their spot in the semi-finals of the Wiltshire Premier Shield on Tuesday night thanks to a 3-1 victory away at Chippenham Town.

Under the cloud of uncertainty regarding the head-coach situation at the County Ground, a Steve Mildenhall and Gav Gunning-led Robins outfit were too strong for their youthful opponents in front of 251 at the Thornbury Surfacing Stadium.

Jack Copland made his first Robins appearance in goal, while senior-squad regulars Tomi Adeloye, Morgan Roberts, Harrison Minturn, and Anton Dworzak also featured from the get-go.

Swindon made a lightning start on their travels and were two goals to the good inside the first five minutes.

Roberts sprinted through the heart of the Bluebirds side before slipping a reverse pass to his right and into the path of Oscar Massey. The former Plymouth Argyle man kept his composure to slot past James Walker in the third minute.

Barely 60 seconds later, the visitors doubled their lead when Adeloye pounced on a loose touch by Walker to tap into the unguarded net.

Chippenham pulled one back in the 13th minute when Dan Warre was fed through down the right side of the box. The young forward powered a low effort into the bottom left corner past a helpless Copland.

Midway through the first half, both goalkeepers made strong saves. Walker pushed a Roberts free-kick away with an athletic dive, and up the other end Copland leapt down to his left to prevent Warre from finding the net again.

Once the action resumed after the interval, a couple of last-ditch tackles prevented a Bluebirds equaliser prior to a couple of further shots from Chippenham. Often the danger man for the hosts, Warre tested Copland with a long-range effort that the stopper was equal to. Seconds later, Bracknell Town loanee Twariq Yusuf drilled a fierce effort towards the side-netting before Copland’s intervention.

After the rain had abated, the chances dried up too before the League Two club were handed a controversial penalty 15 minutes from time. Adeloye was tackled in the box and went down, and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

The Swindon striker picked himself and firmly placed the penalty to the right side of the goal as Walker dived in the opposite direction.

Five minutes from time, former West Bromwich Albion and Carlisle United forward Owen Windsor forced a stunning save from Copland as his left-footed pile driver, which was heading for the top corner, was tipped onto the bar.

Massey claimed the final on-target effort of the game via a scuffed shot at Walker, but it mattered not as Swindon comfortably progressed.

STFC starting XI: Copland, Fox, Taank, Minturn, Bell, Dworzak, Boulden, Cowmeadow, Massey, Roberts, Adeloye.

STFC substitutes: Evans (GK), Brown, McGregor, Wynn-Davis, Kanu, Adams, Bryan.

CTFC starting XI: Walker, Obitayo, Witchell, Bradbury, Mitchell, Ellison, Parker, Gunner, Warre, Windsor, Yusuf.

CTFC substitutes: Smedley, Bennett, Fasanmade, McAllister, Lewis, Simpson.