MATCHDAY LIVE: Swindon Town v Port Vale

FULL-TIME: Swindon Town 2-1 Port Vale. Advantage Swindon.

93' Swindon Substitution

OFF - Barry

ON - O'Brien

2-1

92' Wilson almost restores parity as he gets on the end of a free-kick to head straight at Ward who can only put the ball behind for a corner. The corner is put deep into the box but Swindon clear.

2-1

90' Proctor sets himself but shoots off-target as five minutes of added time are announced. How's the nerves Swindon fans?

2-1

87' After reflection it appears that Baudry played Wilson onside and the striker was left with a simple tap-in. Vale are now attempting to pin Swindon back with long balls but Town are holding out as things stand.

2-1

83' GOAL PORT VALE

Wilson pulls one back for the visitors but surely was in an offside position.

2-1

81' There is a break in play as Dion Conroy receives treatment for a head injury.

2-0

80' Swindon Substitution

Off - Williams

On - Gladwin

2-0

78' Vale Sub

OFF - Martin

ON - Benning

2-0

77' Louis Reed is shown a yellow card for his challenge on Proctor just inside the Swindon half.

2-0

73' Swindon Substitution

OFF - Egbo

ON - Odimayo

2-0

70' It should be three-nil but Josh Davison fluffs his shot after McKirdy tackled Smith to win the ball and play the striker through on goal. Davison takes an extra touch to control the ball under pressure but then tries an audacious chip that sails over the bar.

2-0

69' The goal was brilliantly worked as McKirdy disguised a beautiful through-ball into Payne who burst into the area before shooting low across goal. Stone did well to save but palmed the ball into the path of McKirdy who hit it true on the volley to double Town's lead.

2-0

68' GOAL SWINDON

Harry MCKIRDY scores again and Swindon Town's promotion hopes have just been give a massive boost!!

2-0

66' It seems they will attempt to go for more as Iandolo forces his way into the Vale area before cutting the ball back for a sliding McKirdy who just misses it.

1-0

65' McKirdy turns just outside the Vale box before shooting just wide of the upright. Swindon aren't creating many chances and now have to decide whether to shut-up-shop and attempt to hold out or go for more.

1-0

63' VALE SUBSTITUTION

Off - Edmondsson

On - Proctor

1-0

60' This has been a similar start to the first half with Swindon not doing much to impress but managing to hold in there.

1-0

53' There is panic at the back as Swindon defenders struggle to clear their lines before Baudry demonstrates his class to dribble through the Vale press before passing into Williams as Swindon break. Plenty of Swindon players break forward but none of them are found in the box.

1-0

51' Vale are starting to look more threatening as James Wilson escapes from his man before shooting wide from outside the box.

1-0

49' Today's official attendance is Swindon's biggest of the season so far at 14086 with over 1000 away fans.

1-0

48' Vale win a free-kick inline with the Swindon box. A ball is floated in with Nathan Smith then rising highest to meet the ball but he sends his header over the bar.

1-0

45' Back underway inside the County Ground and Vale manager Clarke has gone to his subs bench already.

ON - Taylor

OFF - Charsley

1-0

HALF-TIME: Swindon Town 1-0 Port Vale

46' Swindon's duo of corners ends with McKirdy striking a shot from a tight angle that just sails over the bar.

1-0

45' It sets up perfectly for Jonny Williams from range and he hits it beautifully from around 30 yards out. His shot is dipping, dipping, dripping but Stone gets a glove on it.

1-0

42' Two Vale players are shown a yellow card as Tom Pett is disciplined for dissent and Harry Charsley is shown yellow for an accumulation of fouls.

1-0

37' Payne skips away from his man and shoots on-target but Stone saves well with his body. Vale then bvreak and Edmondsson forces a save from Ward as the keeper keeps hold of the ball.

1-0

32' Josh Davison is shown a yellow card for time-wasting as he throws the ball away.

1-0

31' Swindon are trying to build on their lead here and suddenly have more confidence in their game but they do have to be careful because the goal also seems to have woke Port Vale up. There is plenty of time for more goals in this game.

1-0

27' That goal really was a gift for Swindon who have started poorly but now lead. Smith conceded the corner and Williams' delivery to McKirdy was perfect with eh striker left with a simple unmarked header at the front-post.

1-0

26' GOAL SWINDON

Barry pressures Vale into conceding a corner as Nathan Smith puts the ball accidentally out of play. Swindon put it into the near post and McKirdy heads it in. GET IN!!!!!

1-0

22' The corner is played short and comes to absolutely nothing. I don't want to say it but this is the worst I have seen Swindon start a game in a long time. No rhythm or control of the game and they have to start clicking.

0-0

21' Swindon win their first corner of the match as Payne and McKirdy link up nicely before the former takes on a man inside the box and has his shot blocked behind.

0-0

17' Play resumes inside the County Ground.

0-0

16' There is a break in play here whilst someone receives medical attention in the crowd. The young lad is on his feet and has been escorted out the ground to receive further medical help.

0-0

9' Brilliant end-to-end action sums up the play-offs with Diottn Conrot doing well to block shots from both Charsley and Pett before Swindon then break on the counter-attack through Barry and ending with Payne's shot going over the bar.

0-0

6' Vale try to test Swindon's defence with a deep cross into the box, however the cross is too deep and out of play for a goal kick. Vale have started the better team here so far and you sense that Swindon need to just calm down a little bit and not let the occasion get to them.

0-0

2' This has been a very stop-start encounter so far with two early fouls awarded to Swindon inside their own half. Vale clearly seeking to be physical early on.

0-0

KICK-OFF: Swindon Town's play-off journey is underway.  0-0 

The players are out and we are almost ready to get underway inside the cauldron of noise that is the County Ground.

And here is how Darrel Clarke's Port Vale line-up:

GK: Stone

CB: Smith

CB: Martin

CB: Hall

LWB: Gibbons

RWB: Worrall

CM: Pett (C)

CM: Garrity

CAM: Charsley

ST: Wilson

ST: Edmondsson

SUBSTITUTIONS

Cavagnari

Benning

Proctor

Taylor

Amoo

Robinson

Harratt

Swindon Town Head Coach Ben Garner has stuck to his guns with Swindon unchanged from the side that won comfortably away to Walsall to secure their place in the play-offs. Lewis Ward has kept his place in the starting XI with JoJo Wollacott relegated to the bench despite being fit.

SWINDON TOWN XI

GK: L Ward

RB: Egbo

CB: Conroy (C)

CB: Baudry

LB: Iandolo

CM: Reed

CM: Payne

CM: Williams

LW: Barry

RW: McKirdy

ST: Davison

SUBSTITUTIONS

Wollacott

Odimayo

Gladwin

O'Brien

Mitchell-Lawson

Aguiar

Parsons

So let's go through how the two sides line-up for today's encounter....

We are 30 minutes away from kick-off and the two teams are currently out warming up on the rain-sodden pitch with plenty of fans flocking to their seats.

Good afternoon and welcome to the County Ground for this post-season encounter as Swindon take on Port Vale in the first leg of the League Two playoffs.