Swindon Town v Gillingham
Sky Bet League Two
County Ground
Thursday January 1, 2026
Kick-Off, 3pm
Team News:
Gareth Ainsworth could make changes to his starting XI again as he tries to keep legs fresh over the New Year period. Josh Andrews and Elliott Nevitt, who both came on as second-half substitutes, could lead the line. Conor Masterson will be assessed, having made his first start since August during Monday evening’s 1-1 draw with Colchester.
Filozofe Mabete will be pushing to start for Swindon, having scored in their 2-0 win at Cheltenham Town. Former Gill, Will Wright, came on as a second-half substitute in the victory and will be hoping to start the New Year’s Day fixture.
Swindon captain Ollie Clarke will be unavailable, as he continues to serve his seven-game suspension. Paul Glatzel came off at half-time in the Cheltenham victory and is an injury doubt. Joe Snowdon and Billy Bodin are doubts.
Manager Comments:
Ian Holloway - “It’s all about recovery. Trying to get that right and explaining what we need to do and not doing very much in the next two days. Hopefully, there won’t be any other things, but mentally that was a big win.” (vs Cheltenham)
Gareth Ainsworth - “They are brilliant games, Swindon and Notts County. This is why we are in the game; they are brilliant for us. I am hoping that we can get something from both games. A win would be fantastic, as we have been very good on the road. Hopefully, we can turn one of those over.”
Previous Meetings:
Swindon lead the head-to-head with 36 wins to Gillingham’s 35, while the draw is just as common, occurring 35 times between the two teams.
Gills travelled to the County Ground in March 2021, with the fixture being played behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Three goals in nine second-half minutes proved the difference for Gillingham.
Brett Pitman gave Swindon the lead on the stroke of half-time. He received the ball inside the penalty area before two excellent touches allowed him to take Ryan Jackson out of the game, and he prodded past Jack Bonham.
Vadaine Oliver equalised for the visitors just short of the hour, as he reacted the quickest to get on the end of John Akinde’s header that bounced off the crossbar, heading the rebound in on the goal line. Four minutes later, Oliver scored his second and turned the game on its head. Jordan Graham blocked an attempted clearance, which Oliver capitalised upon. He latched onto the loose ball ahead of the oncoming goalkeeper before his shot from the right side of the penalty area hit the near post before crossing the line.
Kyle Dempsey made it three on 68 minutes. He had a free-kick to the left side of the penalty area, curling his effort goalward. The ball bounced inside the six-yard box with Oliver attempting to flick it on. However, he missed it, which left Connal Trueman with no chance of adjusting in time as the ball nestled into the back of the net.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NaGga2epck
Tickets:
We have been allocated over 1000 tickets in the Arkell’s John Trollope away stand for the New Year’s Day fixture. Tickets will be available on the day, with a £2 increase.
Turnstiles open at 1.30pm, and matchday ticket sales will be available from the away ticket office (card only payments). The County Ground is a cashless stadium.
For ticket prices, coach travel information and more, click here.
BUY TICKETS | SWINDON TOWN V GILLINGHAM
Streaming:
Domestic fans can watch the game via Sky Sports+, with kick-off at 3pm. Audio passes are available for domestic fans to purchase for a one-off fee, click here to buy.
Overseas fans have access to a video feed for a one-off fee with commentary from BBC Radio Kent.
Click here to purchase.
Odds:
Swindon Town - Evens
Draw- 12/5
Gillingham- 12/5
Match Officials:
Referee: James Durkin
Assistants: Marvyn Amphlett and Harley Hetherington
Fourth Official: Mark Senior
