MATCH REPORT: Swindon (5) Grimsby Town (0)

Charlie Austin’s fairytale return to Swindon was capped with a goal as Swindon ran rampant with a 5-0 win against Grismby Town. Total Sport’s Joe Acklam reports from the County Ground.

Austin marked his return to where his professional career started by opening the scoring before the break with a fine header.

Town started the second half very quickly and just after the hour mark Marcel Lavinier and Jonny Williams both got on the scoresheet, before Ronan Darcy and Saidou Khan slotted home to cap off a complete performance.

Swindon have now climbed back into the play-off places in League Two, moving up to sixth and significantly improving their goal difference.

Austin did come in to start his first game since rejoining last month, alongside four other changes as Louis Reed, Ben Gladwin, Tyrese Shade, Marcel Lavinier, and Luke Jephcott all made way for Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, Khan, Jacob Wakeling, and Ciaran Brennan.

Despite all the build-up, it was the away side that troubled first as Gavin Holohan received the ball in space 35 yards out and tried his luck from distance, forcing Sol Brynn to tip it over the top.

Swindon answered back quickly as Khan drove towards the edge of the box, he had Williams in space but opted to shoot and struck the inside of the post and the ball ricocheted to safety.

There was a lengthy stoppage in play after 12 minutes as the referee was struck in the face by a clearance from Ciaran Brennan before having to be replaced.

The goal that everyone came to see went in after 25 minutes when Remeao Hutton drove down the right and played a fine cross into the middle where Charlie Austin slammed in a towering header from close range.

That header was Austin’s first goal for Swindon since he scored a brace away against Charlton on 3rd January 2011 and his first at the County Ground since a 1-1 draw against Peterborough on 28th December 2010.

Grismby were reduced to ten men after 34 minutes as Danny Amos chopped down Jacob Wakeling right outside the box as he was running through on goal.

Max Crocombe kept the game as a contest after 37 minutes as Hutton’s cross seemed destined for the top corner as Andy Smith sent it towards his own goal, but the ‘keeper made a magnificent save to tip it around the post.

Grimsby could have been on terms at the break after Angus MacDonald overcommitted at the back and was nutmegged by Mikey O’Neill, he played the ball wide to John McAtee and his low shot was a comfortable save for Brynn.

Austin was a whisker away from making it two after 47 minutes when Rushian Hepburn-Murphy played him in on the counter attack, but from a tight angle his shot came back off the bar.

Swindon came close again as Jonny Williams found space in the hole, played a quick ball into Hepburn-Murphy, he poked the ball past Crocombe but against the post.

The pressure told after the hour mark as Hutton clipped a cross into the back post, where Marcel Lavinier, with his first touch, met it with a fine volley that went in off the far post.

Two became three almost immediately as Hepburn-Murphy cut inside from the left and drilled a shot low, which Crocombe did well to get too but pushed it straight to Williams, who gobbled up the chance.

After a raft of substitutions, two combined to get Swindon a fourth as Tyrese Shade drove across the field and played a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Darcy, he curled the ball into the far corner.

Saidou Khan made it five as he drove across the box and fired into the roof of the net across his body to score his first goal for the club.