REPORT: Swindon Town beat Forest Green Rovers 2-1 at the New Lawn

Town were poor in a first half where Matty Stevens gave Rovers the lead, but a half-time dressing down from manager Michael Flynn helped turn the game on its head.

Dan Kemp equalised for Swindon early in the second period, and Harvey Bunker’s 60th-minute red card aided Town’s cause further.

A 94th-minute long-range screamer from Blake-Tracy gave Flynn his first win as Town manager and maintained the visitors’ excellent record in Nailsworth ahead of a crunch trip to Wrexham on Saturday.

Flynn made three changes to the side which began the 2-2 draw with Crewe Alexandra on Saturday. There was no place in the squad for Saidou Khan or Jacob Wakeling due to injury, while Benn Ward dropped to the bench.

Their absence allowed Brooklyn Genesini to make his first ever EFL start. Liam Kinsella and Jake Young also lined up in the initial XI - with the latter returning to one of his former clubs. A very young bench featured striker Abu Kanu and midfielder Jaxon Brown.

Forest Green began with ex-Swindon trialist, Jordan Moore-Taylor at the back and former loanee, Tyrese Omotoye up front. Another of Town’s former loans, Dylan Kadji, was on Rovers’ bench alongside ex-Oxford United striker, Matty Taylor.

Murphy Mahoney was a busy man, particularly before the break, and made the first of several key saves in the fifth minute – beating out Charlie McCann’s drive from the angle.

But Forest Green did not take long to break the deadlock as Town continued their sluggish start. In the 14th minute, a straight pass into Stevens down the left side of the box from midfield was controlled and simply passed into the far corner through Remeao Hutton's legs.

Town almost replied in perfect style just moments after the restart when Charlie Austin laid off for George McEachran to shoot from the edge of the box. McEachran's left-footed drive crashed off the top-left side of the woodwork and was volleyed back into Luke Daniels' hands by Austin on the rebound.

Midway through the opening period, Mahoney pulled off three magnificent saves in quick succession to keep Swindon in the game. First, he scampered across to keep out Jamie Robson’s cheeky near-post effort. From the resulting corner, Mahoney channelled his inner David Seaman to claw off the line from Ryan Inniss. A third shot arrived from the edge of the box, but Town’s stopper leapt up to tip over.

At the half-hour mark, Rovers’ goalkeeper Daniels – not wanting to be outdone – produced a brilliant stop to keep out Austin. Town’s captain took down a cross on his chest and volleyed towards the top-right corner with some venom, but Daniels sprung across to his left to tip it over.

The remainder of the first period featured a handful of nearly moments for both teams, but neither came close to testing their opponent’s goalkeeper.

Following a half-time dressing down from their manager, Swindon emerged in the second half like house on fire and duly equalised just two minutes in.

Genesini's cross from the left was attacked by Austin at the far post but brilliantly kept out by Daniels. Unfortunately for the Rovers goalkeeper, he palmed straight onto the head of Kemp who enjoyed the simplest of headed tap-ins.

Swindon’s task was made slightly easier with the dismissal of Harvey Bunker just after the hour mark. Two innocuous fouls either side of the break led to him receiving a red card and leaving the hosts with 10 men.

Town set about trying to find a winner, and most of their better chances fell to the man who made his name scoring goals – Austin. But a combination of some wayward shooting and a couple of brilliant Daniels saves meant Town’s wait continued until the closing stages.

But when the winner did come, it was worth the wait. Inside seven minutes of stoppage time, Blake-Tracy scored the kind of goal every child dreams of from outside the box to send all 1,000 Swindon fans into raptures.

The ball dropped to him around 25 yards out, and Town’s vice-captain thundered a first-time left-footed cracker into the top-left corner past the despairing dive of Daniels to seal a memorable victory.

FGRFC starting XI: Daniels, Bernard, Inniss, Moore-Taylor, Robson, Bunker, McCann, McAllister, Jenks, Stevens, Omotoye.

FGRFC substitutes: Searle, Robertson, Welch, Kadji, Bendle, Maddox, Taylor.

STFC starting XI: Mahoney, Hutton, Godwin-Malife, Brewitt, Blake-Tracy, Genesini, Kinsella, Kemp, McEachran, Young, Austin (c).

STFC substitutes: Brann, Ward, Minturn, Cain, Uwakwe, Brown, Kanu.

Referee: Sunny Singh Gill