MATCH REPORT: Swindon Town (5) v (0) Walsall

SWINDON TOWN stunned Walsall in a 5-0 thrashing as a brace of goals for Louie Barry and Ricky Aguiar was topped up by Jonny Williams’ late strike to send Ben Garner’s Robins up into 5th place of the League Two table. Total Sport Swindon’s Ryan Walker gives his match report below.

Both keepers were called into early action with Carl Rushworth getting down well to claim Joe Tomlinson’s bouncing effort and Tyrese Shade forcing a brilliant save from JoJo Wollacott after cutting in from the left-wing and hitting a powerful strike towards goal.

A high-paced tempo created plenty of end-to-end action during the game’s opening passages with Micky Flynn’s new-look Walsall threatening down the wings whilst Swindon opted for more direct play through the middle of the pitch.

Shade was again involved in the 15th minute as his shot ricocheted inside the box and almost finding Conor Wilkinson before Brandon Cooper’s intervention.

Swindon top goalscorer Harry McKirdy was involved in the thick of the action in the 24th minute after Louis Reed’s pass over the top found McKirdy. However Rushworth was quick off his line to make a clearance despite seeming to have caught the striker. No foul was given.

Swindon’s attacking dominance grew as the first half ticked by with Town’s attacking trio of McKirdy, Josh Davison, and Louie Barry each involved in attacks but initially unable to get the better of Walsall’s defence. 

McKirdy wasted the chance to put Swindon in front in the 31st minute after latching onto Barry’s back heel and blasting his close-range strike into the Stratton Bank stand. However a well-worked move just four minutes later broke the deadlock.

After winning the ball with a sliding challenge inside his own half, Reed’s pass forward was collected by Davison on the halfway line, the striker sold his man with some smart footwork before playing through Barry. The Aston Villa loanee then stood the backpedaling Rollin Menayese up inside the visitors box before finishing with aplomb into the roof of the net to put Swindon infront.

Barry almost had his second immediately after the restart after coming onto a bouncing ball on the edge of the box but could only muster a shot straight at the keeper.

Deservedly in front Swindon looked good for a one-nil lead heading into halftime, however midfielder Ricky Aguiar had other ideas as he struck from the edge of the box to double Swindon’s lead. Josh Davison recording his second assist.

The goal on the stroke of halftime appeared to deflate Walsall and it was predictability Swindon who came out for the second period of play well on top as they went on the hunt for a third goal.

Ben Garner’s Robins didn’t have to wait long as Aguiar bagged his second goal in the 56th minute after smashing Tomlinson’s cutback into the top corner. 

The home side inflicted more misery on the travelling Walsall supporters less than ten minutes later as Barry intercepted a poor pass across midfield to run through on goal and finish with a shot into the bottom corner.

Swindon Town’s County Ground faithful have often been starved of goals this season but there was no such cause for concern in this match as substitute Jonny Williams came off the bench to score with a tap in at the back-post and make it five-nil.

Five goals. An emphatic home victory, and up to 5th in the league standings ensured Swindon fans went home happy as Town made it three clean sheet wins on the bounce.