No fightback this time as Cobblers end 2022 with frustrating defeat to Swindon Town

Town played well in the first-half and created enough opportunities to be two or three ahead by the break but their poor finishing was ruthlessly punished when Swindon’s only decent chance ended up in the back of the net.

The second-half followed a similar pattern and Marcel Lavinier’s incredible strike put the game beyond the reach of the hosts and completed something of a smash and grab, with Sam Hoskins’ 15th of the season in stoppage-time proving only a consolation.

Mitch Pinnock replaced Kieron Bowie in the only alteration from the team which drew at Mansfield on Boxing Day, although there was another change on the bench as Josh Harrop came back into the squad with Jack Sowerby still suffering from illness.

Swindon got away with a couple of shaky moments in the first five minutes before gaining a foothold in the contest.

The away side had plenty of early possession but most of it was harmless and well away from Town’s goal.

The visitors did not look comfortable when the ball was launched into their own penalty box though and some unconvincing defending led to the game’s first chance on 20 minutes, but Solomon Brynn reacted quickly to beat away Louis Appéré’s fierce strike.

An even better opening presented itself for Mitch Pinnock moments later after good work from Appéré and Ben Fox in the build-up, but he poked wide with only Brynn to beat, a miss that he would instantly regret.

Within a minute, Swindon opened Cobblers up on the break and after Jonny Williams, who may have been offside, was denied by the legs of Lee Burge, the loose ball broke to Tyrese Shade who fired emphatically into the roof of the net.

Cobblers were 1-0 behind for the third game in a row but they were not playing badly, far from it, and they threatened again when Shaun McWilliams’ dangerous cross fizzed across goal before Hoskins, attempting to repeat his heroics from Boxing Day, volleyed wide.

Brynn also tipped Fox’s header around the post to keep Swindon’s lead intact at the break.

The frustration continued into the second-half and Town were given a mountain to climb when Lavinier scored a sensational second as he unleashed a stunning 25-yard thunderbolt which whizzed past Burge.

Brynn was again Northampton’s nemesis when he flew across his goal to thwart Appéré and he was also handily placed to get down to Hoskins’ low effort.

The second goal took the sting out of Town’s play even if they did have more dangerous moments with Appéré smothered out of it in the penalty box and Hoskins’ cross-cum-shot dropping just wide of the far post.

Just as all hope looked lost, Brynn was finally beaten as Hoskins brilliantly curled into the top corner from Appéré’s lay-off, but even with six minutes of stoppage-time to come, that was too little too late and Swindon held on.

Match facts

Cobblers: Burge, McGowan (Magloire 68) Sherring, Guthrie ©, Odimayo (Hylton 85), Leonard, McWilliams, Fox (Bowie 60), Pinnock (Eppiah 60), Hoskins, Appéré

Subs: Maxted, Haynes, Harrop

Swindon: Brynn, Hutton, Blake-Tracy, MacDonald ©, Lavinier, Iandolo (Darcy 85), Khan (Reed 74), Shade, Gladwin, Williams (Wakeling 66), Jephcott (Hepburn-Murphy 66)

Subs not used: Copland, Minturn, Roberts, Copland

Referee: Lewis Smith

Attendance: 7,156

Swindon fans: 1,455