Manager Steve Evans tweaked his starting XI once again for this game which seems to have been dubbed the M4 derby, though, admittedly, one of the changes was forced on him as Ellis Harrison was injured.
Joe Quigley came in for him, while Keenan Gough was relegated to the bench in favour of Richie Smallwood.
There was an early chance for Rovers but Shaq Forde’s long range effort didn’t really pose any problems for Connor Ripley in the Swindon goal. The visitors should have taken the lead shortly afterwards when Matty Virtue scampered down the left and saw his cross shot drift agonisingly wide of the far post.
Fabrizio Cavegn saw a shot comfortably saved by Ripley before Swindon squandered another opportunity to break the deadlock. On this occasion the culprit was Aaron Drinan who got in behind Rovers back line and took a pass from Virtue before hitting a shot straight at Brad Young.
Cavegn did have another opportunity for Rovers before the break as these two evenly matched sides looked to find a goal. On this occasion the Rovers striker was foiled, once again, by Ripley.
Conditions made it difficult for both sides; a swirling wind and constant rain were definitely not conducive to fast, free flowing football. While Rovers enjoyed a great deal of second half possession, they seldom threatened Ripley’s goal.
Ciaran Kelly hit one shot over the bar after being played in by Kofi Balmer before Evans introduced Gough and Bobby Kamwa in place of Smallwood and Cavegn respectively.
Joe Snowdon’s scuffed shot was comfortably saved by Young before Kamwa’s afternoon was ended after just eight minutes when he pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
Reiss Russell-Denny replaced him, but chances for both sides remained elusive though Kelly did deny Swindon a goal with a last ditch challenge on Antwoine Hackford.
As for Rovers, Gough tested Ripley before the 90 minutes were up and Quigley, who had battled hard all afternoon, looked to have won it for Rovers when he headed home. However, referee Sebastian Stockbridge chalked the ‘goal’ off, presumably because he had blown the final whistle before the ball entered the net, though that wasn’t obvious from the sidelines and caused Evans to question the decision not to allow the goal to stand.
WHAT WAS SAID
‘The performance outside the first ten or 12 minutes was very good. First ten, 12 minutes, like Salford, we didn’t come out of the traps; that’s a saying that everyone uses. We just couldn’t seem to get a little bit of a grip with a system that Swindon set up, with three number tens and the lone striker. We looked as if we struggled to do that a little bit until we were able to have a little break in play and be able to sort it.
‘I think the remainder of the first half, we probably shaded it. We make a couple of chances ourselves; I think Fabrizio maybe could have a couple. It doesn’t happen for us. I think we’re going in at half time. We tweak two or three things, and I think we’re much better in the second half, by far the better side.
“You’re always going to be subject to a little bit of counter attack, and they’ve got the boy Drinan, who’s very quick and pacey at the top end of the pitch; he’ll stretch the game. We made some good half chances, but without really making the boy Ripley make a good save. So, hard fought, 0-0. The positives for me: a clean sheet. I think that was important and a point, so we lose that sequence, and now we have a run of games to go and attack, starting the next week away at Fleetwood, but we’re also trying to push some square pegs into round holes at the minute with our injuries.’ Rovers Manager Steve Evans
‘I think especially over the past couple of weeks, we’ve conceded a lot of sloppy goals. I think it gives us boys at the back, and the full team, confidence with a clean sheet. We can analyse and say we need to score; we want to score, obviously, to win the game, but a clean sheet. Happy days. I feel a lot more composed. I know there’s been a lot of noise going about in the press and stuff, and as a goalkeeper, you’re going to get that. I think for me, I’ve got to be bullet proof because if I start doubting myself, I am only a young goalkeeper now, so if I start doubting myself, then we’re in a bit of bother.
‘But I’ve just got to keep working, keep putting the work in. The outside noise is outside noise. It’s all about what we do on the pitch. So, I think, yeah, it was a solid display, a bit back to what I was doing, making a couple of saves, and it just breeds confidence. We’ve grown as a team. So no, I’m happy with today. I think obviously at the start of the season it’s been tough for me and frustrating. I think it’s been more of a mental challenge because conceding goals and, look, I haven’t been making those big saves to keep us in games as I did at the back end of last year. It just feels like I haven’t helped the boys out as much.
“But I think there have been a couple of games where I went chasing things, trying to look for work, and that’s when you’re in big bother as a goalkeeper. So I think we’re just reigning it back in, trusting in the work I do in the week. And look, I know I can make saves, I know I can deal with crosses, whatever may come. So I think it’s just getting back to the basics, and I think I’ve shown that today.’ Rovers Goalkeeper Brad Young
‘We made a blistering start and within two minutes we had the best move of the game and we’ve hit the post instead of scoring. If that had gone in I think we’d have won but we need to take our chances when we’ve created them.
We stood up to whatever they threw at us. We could have had two or three today, but we’re growing into it. I believe that’s four points out of the last six away from home, which is something I would have killed for. Swindon Boss Ian Holloway
