AS I was looking through Twitter after the game on Tuesday, I came across a tweet that read “Swindon Town: brilliantly baffling.”

And it’s hard to argue against that, as Town finally ended their losing streak of four home games with a superb 3-0 win over in-form Rochdale.

This result builds on a less than stellar performance but significant away point last weekend at Wimbledon.

It’s important not to get too carried away as it’s just two games, but it’s a definite improvement and something that needs to be built on.

When Raphael Branco decided to elbow an opposition player in the face a few weeks ago and rightly received a red card, it was a huge blow, with the squad already depleted with injuries, but it seems that moment of madness is a blessing in disguise.

Out went 3-5-2, that hasn’t been successful in recent weeks and in came a 4-2-3-1, which saw Conor Thomas partner Nathan Thompson at the heart of defence.

And against a powerful Rochdale side, it worked a treat, with Thomas and Thompson reading the game well and looking comfortable.

After the results from the past week, this formation should be here to stay and we shouldn’t go running back to a previous set-up, which had become too predictable.

The biggest improvement was in midfield, as both Anton Rodgers and Tom Smith protected their defence well.

Local boy Smith was making his full league debut. He joined Town at the age of eight and has made his way through the youth ranks to the senior side, a sight welcomed by fans, and a real encouragement that the club’s youth system is producing some top players.

After his performance, I’m not sure how Luke Williams can take the 18-year-old out of his XI. With Yaser Kasim returning from suspension this weekend, does the manager change either Rodgers or Smith to fit in Kasim?

I would rather he kept faith with the two from Tuesday, and gave them a chance to show it wasn’t a one-off performance.

Follow me on Twitter @danwjonson

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