ON-THE-WHISTLE MATCH REPORT: Swindon Town 0-0 Southend United

Swindon Town got 2017 going with an uninspiring 0-0 draw at home to play-off chasing Southend United in a tepid encounter at the County Ground.

Swindon made four changes to the side that lost 3-2 at MK Dons on December 30, with captain Nathan Thompson, Sean Murray, Tom Smith and Jermaine Hylton replaced by James Brophy, Michael Doughty, Anton Rodgers and Johnny Goddard coming in while Jon Obika was skipper due to Thompson's absence with injury.

Southend had a number of ex-Town players in their ranks, with two of them - Simon Cox and Michael Timlin named in the line-up with the other - Nile Ranger, on the bench.

It was a dull meeting for the vast majority as the 22 players on the pitch could not deliver a game to warm up the chilly County Ground crowd but the game started brightly.

Within the first six minutes Swindon had forced two corners. The first one culminated in Raphael Branco darting away from a Southend defender but he had his low shot well saved by goalkeeper Ted Smith.

Seconds later Branco was a threat again from a set piece although with the second corner he could only manage a tame header after Anton Rodgers' delivery and Southend cleared. 

Marc Antoine Fortune, who once strutted his stuff for Premier League outfit West Brom, had a tame shot saved by Lawrence Vigouroux with nine minutes played but that was about it from him and he was subbed for bad boy Ranger in the second half. Ranger was booed as he stepped back onto the pitch he temporarily called home.

Almost 20 minutes of nothing then passed by and then Luke Norris tried to inject a bit of life into the game but he could only find the Stratton Bank seating with a long-range effort.

A minute later Norris and Goddard combined with a silky one-two that ended with the former crossing for Obika but Town's skipper headed over from close range while under pressure.

Southend did come up with a few shots of their own, from Ryan Leonard and Jason Demetriou but neither caused man-of-the-match Vigouroux much fuss.

That was until the second half when Vigouroux had to make an impressive diving save to his right to deny Demetriou from a free-kick.

Obika would then have Swindon's best chance of the afternoon when he was picked out by Michael Doughty, making his last appearance in Town Red as he has been recalled from his loan by QPR, but all Obika could do was curl a shot narrowly over the bar.

Soon after it was time for Vigouroux to earn the man-of-the-match he was given. The highly-rated Chilean made a fantastic double save to deny Zavon Hines with his feet before recovering to parry Will Atkinson's follow up past the post.

Hines caused Vigouroux bother again four minutes after that but the ex-West Ham man was denied again by Vigouroux who tipped Hines' effort onto the post and away to keep Town in the game.

Hylton was introduced seven minutes from time and was instantly a threat to the Southend back four with the forward having one chance one-on-one well saved immediately followed by the rebound that was struck wide.

Later, he hit one a fair bit over from 25 yards out and had time for another go, but again he shot wide after being teed up by Brophy.

The draw, along with results elsewhere, keeps Swindon three points clear of the relegation zone and they meet Shrewsbury on Saturday for a cliche 'six-pointer'. Shrewsbury are 23rd and three points behind Swindon. 

Swindon Town: Vigouroux; Furlong, Rossi-Branco, Jones, Brophy; Rodgers, Thomas (Murray '70), Doughty, Goddard (Hylton '83); Norris, Obika

Subs not used: Henry, Barry, Smith, Stewart, Delfouneso

Southend United: Smith, Demetriou, Thompson, Ferdinand, Timlin, Atkinson, Wordsworth (Bridge '88), Leonard, McGlashan (Hines '67), Cox, Fortune (Ranger '55)

Subs not used: White, O'Neill, King, Bexon

Attendance: 7,102 (648 away)