MATCH REPORT: Swindon Town (1) v (2) Exeter City

SWINDON TOWN dropped out of the playoff places as goals from Jevani Brown and Timothee Dieng cancelled out Joe Tomlinson’s opener to inflict a first home defeat of the year on the Robins. Total Sport Swindon’s Ryan Walker gives his match report from the County Ground.

Jake O’Brien’s last-ditch block from Matt Jay’s shot kept Swindon in the game during the opening exchanges as Exeter sought to take an early lead.

Josh Davison wasted a good chance at the other end after being played through by Harry McKirdy but was let down by his heavy touch. McKirdy then failed to hit the target moments later as Joe Tomlinson’s clearance fell to him but the striker shot into the side-netting from a tight angle.

Adopting similar formations and similar styles, Exeter looked to pen Swindon back inside their own half with attacking play down the wings creating space inside the hosts box as one such move ended Kieran Phillips slicing the ball wayward.

Making his debut since moving on loan from Peterborough until the end of the season, Joe Tomlinson emerged as Swindon’s most dangerous creator for large parts of the first-half with the full-back finding the target with a curling shot in the 24th minute and largely impressing in his defensive duties.

McKirdy should’ve had an assist to his name in the 28th minute after turning in midfield with Ben Gladwin sprinting past him into space but the Town striker put too much power on the ball and the chance went begging.

Positive build-up play from both sets of players made for an entertaining end to the first half but a combination of good defending and poor decision-making in the final third ensured the game remained goalless at half-time.

Swindon started the second half the better of the two sides and slick build-up play between the Robins strike force of McKirdy and Davison should have yielded a goal with McKirdy’s close-range striker producing an acrobatic save.

The hosts had been threatening and manage to build on their period of dominance moments later. McKirdy’s cutting pass found Tomlinson just inside the box and the full-backs powerful strike across the face of goal crept in to put Swindon ahead.

Timothee Dieng’s powerful strike from outside the box moments later threatened to level the game but Wollacott was alert to tip his effort over the bar.

Substitutions showed the thoughts of both managers with Swindon seeking to hold onto their lead through defensive changes and Exeter chasing a late comeback with a bounty of attackers making their introduction.

A frantic final 15 minutes saw Exeter put Swindon’s defence under immense pressure with crosses into the box testing Swindon’s resolve that eventually buckled in the 84th minute as Jevani Brown pulled the visitors level.

Breaking on the counter-attack Brown set himself before curling the ball past the stretching Wollacott.

Shaken by the equaliser, Swindon failed to arrange themselves and five minutes later Timothee Dieng scored on the counter-attack to break Swindon’s hearts and wrap up victory.