Your Total Guide To sport

MATCH PREVIEW | Harrogate Town vs Swindon Town

After suffering three losses in seven days Swindon hope to turn their misfortunes around with a trip to Harrogate.

Swindon have been in nothing short of free fall since their last win over a month ago. Since then they have played six times, drawing once and losing five in a row, which makes it terrible reading for all Swindon fans of late.

Harrogate have been inconsistent in their recent form, but one thing that has been consistent is struggling at home. Harrogate sits on 22 points in the league, but only six have come at home. We discuss their struggles at home later.

Swindon have struggled away from home, only winning once and picking up seven points on their travels. Can Harrogate turn their awful form at home around or can Swindon turn around their terrible run of losses?

Second Half Swindon

Recent games have highlighted a huge problem within this Swindon side. Conceding 14 goals in their last three games is already a glaring red flag but what makes it worse is in two of the three games Swindon were leading at halftime.

Swindon have conceded 10 goals alone in the second half of their last three games, so how big of an issue has controlling the second 45 minutes been for Swindon in the league this season, and is it worse away from home, or at the County Ground?

Games Played:	Home:	Away:	Total:
First Half:	3	8	11
Second Half:	8	12	20
Total:	11	20	31

As you can see from the table Swindon have been best at keeping the goals out at home but still really struggle in the second half compared to the first half. However, the number of goals conceded away from home is a glaring issue.

Second halves are clearly the big problem for this Swindon side, whether they don’t have the fitness for the full 90 minutes, or once conceding their heads drop, there is something fundamentally broken with defending in the second half of games.

Whilst the away form continues to suffer, the defence will continue to ship goals and the problem of the second half for Swindon will continue. But maybe playing the side with the second-worst home record in the league will remedy the gaping wound in their side.

Opposition Analysis

Harrogate have lost their last four home games in a row only scoring on two occasions. The side have lost six home games this season only winning twice. They have also struggled to find the net at home being the league's lowest scorers in their own stadium, only finding the net 7 times.

The two sides have gone head to head in recent times, meeting on four occasions. Swindon have won on two occasions including the last time the teams faced off in a 3-0 victory. Harrogate beat Swindon earlier last season also in a 3-0 scoreline. The remaining fixture was the first time the two faced off in a 1-1 draw.

The last two games have both been high scoring with both sides being dominant at home. But will it be the same this time around with Harrogate struggling at home and Swindon away? An immovable object is going to meet an unstoppable force the question is who will budge.

Swindon Town League Form:

D L L L L

Harrogate Town League Form:

L W L L W

Match Prediction:

Call us deluded, but we back Swindon to finally pick up three points and their second away win of the season. Harrogate's struggles in front of goal could help the lacklustre defending from the Swindon defence. Whereas the attacking play has not been short of goals despite their poor form.

It all depends on the second half, will Swindon lead into halftime only to throw it away for the third game in a row?

Harrogate Town 0-2 Swindon Town