MATCHDAY LIVE: Swindon vs Northampton Town

A disappointing result considering they took the lead and seemed to be the side pushing for the winner at 1-1. Northampton were very clinical and looked a very strong side on the counter attack.

FULL-TIME: Swindon 1 Northampton 2

90- Brennan header agonizingly tipped round the post.

5 minutes added on

87- A cross isn't dealt with and Pinnock comes in round the back to tap home. Gutting really.

Bollocks.

Goal. Swindon 1 Northampton 2 (Pinnock 87')

85- OFF: Tom Clayton

ON: Ciaran Brennan

85- The Swindon team appear to be on a DofE trek in the left corner of the pitch as they are camped in there and no one seems to interested in moving the ball out of that area.

83- Heart in mouth moment. Northampton whip a corner in and Gladwin misses his header at the near post and the ball just drops wide at the back.

80- Swindon seem to be the ones pushing. Shade, Blake-Tracy and Gladwin were patiently looking for space and when the ball came into Wakeling, it was put behind for a corner. 1-1.

79- This was one of those games for Jephcott, where as a poacher you basically do nothing. 1-1.

78- OFF: Luke Jephcott

ON: Tyrese Shade

Attendance today is 9789 with 614 away fans.

70- Credit where it is due, Jonny Leighfield called the goal when the free-kick was given.

Goal. Ben Fox flicks home a free-kick. 1-1.

65- The energy has gone up a notch for Swindon. A quickly taken corner nearly has Darcy in behind but the ball was scrambled out for a corner. 1-0.

65- Fair to say the goal wasn't coming, but Swindon were on top. Williams getting that lads holiday for the past week pays off.

The pitch just opened up like the Red Sea. A throw in allowed Williams space and he took no persuading to charge through it and curl into the far corner. 1-0.

GOAL! JONNY WILLIAMS !!!!!!!!!! (62)

60- OFF: Louis Reed

ON: Ellis Iandolo

58- Pinnock with a sight of goal. The ball fell to the winger in the box and MacDonald managed to cut off a route to goal and he fired over. 0-0.

57- A seemingly innocuous free-kick from deep by Northampton bounced past everybody and behind, seemed more dangerous than that description.

57- Louis Reed gets booked for a rash challenge stopping a counter attack.

54- OFF: Louis Appere

OFF: Ben Fox

54- It is slightly concerning that Danny Hylton just ran straight past MacDonald, thankfully neither were quick enough to catch up to the ball.

53- Wakeling threatening, he uses his strength to knock down Haynes under a high ball and ran to the by-line, but his pull back was put behind. 0-0.

50- Fluffed his lines. Williams finds space centrally and plays is wide to Hutton, his low cross went straight back to Williams, but his shot flicked off his standing leg and was cleared. 0-0.

49- Delay as a Northampton player is down, looks like Sam Sherring. This is not helping the game find a tempo.

47- First opening of the second half as Wakeling picks out Hutton outside him, but his cross balloons over everyone. 0-0.

KICK-OFF. Ben Gladwin gets us back underway.

I somewhat feel for Hylton, because he came on for 20 seconds and since has had to do quite a vigorous warm-up all of half-time. Players are back out.

In terms of performances, we have none. Brynn was once again Swindon's best player in that first half, but even he did not have loads to do. It has just felt flat and we aren't seeing much from the front three.

I think the subs are going to be important here as after the first 15 minutes, very little happened. Good thing before the game I was talking about Swindon's depth.

That's half-time. Not the best half, we shall say.

45- OFF: Ali Koiki

ON: Danny Hylton

45- Nearly a chance for Town to close the half. Quick switches gets Reed round the back, but his cut back is deflected away. 0-0.

45- Ali Koiki is coming off in a daze, he was down for a fair while there and doesn't look like he will be returning.

2 minutes added on *obligatory where has he got that from*

43- I am nearly made to eat my words (which was the point of saying that). A defensive mix-up from Northampton gives Darcy the ball on halfway, he slides in Gladwin who looks to play it back but Darcy can't sought out his feet in the box. 0-0.

41- At this point it would be fair to say a draw seems the most likely outcome. 0-0.

37- Great play by Wakeling. He receives the ball in the right half-space and drives through three or four defenders before eventually flicking a shot goal wards which is deflected behind. 0-0.

36- A save! Ryan Haynes comes in off the right and clearly without knowing who the keeper was attempted a shot from 30 yards, which was easily dealt with by Brynn.

35- I am presently having to retroactively add stuff into the match report as very little is happening. Most of it is the ref making questionable decisions and taking ages to decide on them. Still 0-0 lads.

30- Swindon had a promising counter on as Blake-Tracy ran out of defence, and he should have played it to Reed but instead went wide to Jephcott, who must have thought he was offside as he seemed reluctant to go for it, and when he did get there Northampton were in position and nothing happened.

26- This game is giving, someone opened the oven door on a souffle, the early tempo has collapsed. Very middle class analogy aside, the zip has come out of the play and there is very little going on.

25- I think they are training tops, but the grey colour and fit is making the Northampton manager and assistant look very Joachim Lowe and Hansi Flick at a major tournament. 0-0.

23- Since that big flash point, the tempo has dropped off. Northampton are getting more and more control and very much look like a side who are in the automatic promotion spaces. 0-0.

19- As I said, all about not making mistakes and Blake-Tracy made a big one there. Thank the Lord for Sol Brynn. 0-0.

16- Should have been 1-0. Blake-Tracy with a horror show of a back pass that Clayton couldn't stop Appere getting to. He lloked to round Brynn, but the Town keeper stopped him. Suggestions of a penalty but not for me Clive. 0-0.

13- There is a real intensity here and it is suiting Swindon. Northampton are struggling to deal with the speed Town are switching the ball with and it is creating the spaces Lindsey wants.

11- Good play by Town again. MacDonald clips it out Blake-Tracy, who plays to Gladwin on the overlap and his deep cross is put out for a corner. 0-0.

10- This game is going to be about not making mistakes as Northampton look very direct and dangerous when Swindon have turned the ball over.

8- Swindon's chance to threaten. Hutton needs no opportunity to fly forward down the right and drilled in a cross which was cleared before it could get to Jephcott. 0-0.

6- These corners are going to be a nightmare all afternoon. Northampton swing it in and flick it on at the near post, with the ball just evading a free runner around the back. 0-0.

4- Swindon are controlling possession here as would be expected and a good 1-2 between Gladwin and Wakeling almost sets the former in down the right.

3- It is very windy here. A Northampton goal kick just stopped dead in the air halfway through the half.

2- The Cobblers have the first chance. Gladwin loses the ball on the halfway line and Northampton counter to win a corner. Which Swindon deal with no problem.

It is definitely 4141 from Northampton.

Kick-off! We are underway

Bad news bears guys. Northampton are wearing their retro third kit, which whilst fabulous, does ruin the whole Arsenal-Spurs thing from earlier.

Here come the players for what very much feels like Swindon's biggest game of the season.

The flags on the pitch are also a great piece of branding for the supporter's club, a real kick in the teeth for Trust STFC to miss out.

Real pageantry at the County Ground today, we have flag wavers welcoming the players out and yes, ball car is here. No one does it like Town.

O Fenomeno likes to leave his form for when he's playing as during a shooting drill he has just shanked a volley into the Arkell's Stand.

Northampton have now broken into groups and the defensive one constitutes four people, so it could still be 4141 and one of the full-backs is playing higher.

Seeing Odimayo warming up with the Northampton subs is quite a sad sight. He was terrific during the relegation season and never really suited Garner due to him getting an allergic reaction whenever he was asked to touch the ball. But he is a very good defender and you thought somewhere less possession heavy would work for him, but he is struggling so far at Northampton.

Northampton are being very rude in their pre-match routine and are refusing to give away their system.

It does really feel like Scott Lindsey is having some selection headaches at the moment. I had someone suggest to me in the week that Reed wouldn't come straight back in (which is obviously nonsense) but the performance last week showed Swindon could cope without him. On my way here I was struggling to think who Williams would replace, and Marcel Lavinier who started his Town career very well but hasn't been able to displace Hutton. And that doesn't even include Iandolo, who still waits for his first league start and you would be hard pushed to make a case for one right now.

Looking back at the Swindon team, it is no surprise that Reed and Williams come back in, but the front three is a new combo. The much loved on this live blog Tyrese Shade drops out, so there is no natural winger in the team, but with Lindsey looking for his wingers to roam and move into different areas, this will likely not be an issue.

Right, so this looks like a change in system for the Cobblers, they have swapped a winger for a full-back and I have seen suggestions of 541. Here is my best guess.

Burge

Koiki, Guthrie, Sherring, Lintott, Haynes

Bowie, Sowerby, Leonard, Pinnock

Appere

I will keep an eye out during the warm ups to see if something becomes apparent.

So, a bit of a blessing for Swindon with the league's top scorer missing out. I will look into their players and find out what the proper line-up will be.

Sam Hoskins is out with illness

Northampton Town XI:

Burge, Sowerby, Guthrie, Sherring, Appere, Pinnock, Leonard, Koiki, Bowie, Lintott, Haynes

Subs: Maxted, Fox, Hylton, Odimayo, Abimbola, Cross

So that is two changes, O Fenomeno drops out for Williams' return and Khan's suspension sees Louis Reed return.

Swindon Town XI:

Brynn; Hutton, Clayton, MacDonald, Blake-Tracy; Gladwin, Reed, Darcy; Williams, Jephcott, Wakeling

Subs: Brann, Iandolo, Aguiar, Lavinier, Shade, Roberts, Brennan

Northampton come into this one on the back of four straight wins (Barrow, Wimbledon, Rochdale, Stockport) and are also the league's top scorers. They have scored as many goals from set pieces (according to Lindsey's numbers, the ones I looked at were lower) as Swindon have scored in total this season.

If we are looking for omens, one home team wearing red are convincingly beating a side in the top three who are wearing white (Northampton might be wearing white today and if they are it makes this significantly more compelling) right now- unless Tottenham make a very frustrating comeback. What I am saying is, this must mean a home win this afternoon.

Good afternoon everyone. Swindon are now in good form in League Two but it will be a big test this afternoon as second place Northampton Town travel to the County Ground. Line-ups to follow.