MATCH PREVIEW | Swindon Town vs Aldershot Town

Swindon come into tomorrow's FA Cup First Round tie against Aldershot hoping to put an end to their poor run of form of late.

With only one win in their last five games, Swindon will be looking to bounce back to their early season form. 

Michael Flynn will be looking to celebrate his new contract with a strong performance against National League opposition. Aldershot currently sit in the last play-off place of 7th and will be travelling up to the County Ground in confidence, they lost their last game to Dorking but had been on a small winning streak and will be hoping to kick Swindon when they’re down. 

The hosts have lost two games on the bounce, a 1-0 loss to Gillingham in a game that Swindon controlled thoroughly and then despite a late attempt at a comeback against MK Dons Swindon couldn’t find an equaliser in a 3-2 loss. 

Without Dan Kemp who was ineligible to play against his parent club, Swindon really struggled to create any meaningful chances. Will Kemp be back in the lineup tomorrow?

Swindon and the FA Cup

Swindon have made it out of the first round in three of their last five FA Cup campaigns. Last season Stockport easily swept aside Swindon in a 4-0 demolition but had made it to the third round the season before, until meeting Manchester City who predictably had little trouble in a 4-1 victory. 

The FA Cup remains Swindon's only chance for a cup run this season. Early exits in the EFL Cup and EFL Trophy mean the thin squad Swindon have will not need to be spread even thinner than it already is. 

The opposition Aldershot have yet to make the second round since 2014, a boost for Swindon who will definitely be the favourites to make the next round. 

Opposition Analysis

Aldershot have had a good start to their National League campaign and currently find themselves in the play-off places. They are very open but also score plenty of goals, they have scored 32 goals but also conceded 32,  leaving their goal difference at zero. 

Aldershot’s biggest threats are Joshua Stokes and Lorent Tolaj. The pair combined for 15 goals with the rest being spread through the squad. Aldershot's attack should not be taken for granted but the defence should be ripe for the taking. 

Squad Rotation?

The question remains of how heavily, if at all, Michael Flynn will rotate in the hope some of the squad players can get the job done. However, with how shallow the squad is there likely will still be many first-team players in the lineup. 

In his press conference, Flynn stated his urge for not wanting a replay so maybe hinting at a strong starting eleven to get the job done in one. With Saido Kahn and Tyrese Shade receiving November call-ups for the Gambia and Saint Kitts and Nevis, avoiding a replay is essential in the already packed winter schedule. 

Swindon Form (All Competitions):
L W D L L 

Aldershot Form (All Competitions):
W W W W L 

Match Prediction

Swindon have not been at the races recently and this game could be coming at the perfect time to turn their form around. Despite Aldershot having the capacity to do some damage, their frail defence should be like stars in the eyes of the Swindon front line. 

Swindon Town 4-2 Aldershot Town