Second-half goals by Aaron Drinan and Fletcher Holman saw Swindon beat Gillingham 2-0 at the MEMS Priestfield Stadium on Tuesday night.
Gareth Ainsworth made eight changes to the team that were beaten at Cambridge at the weekend, as Jake Turner, Remeao Hutton, Sam Gale, Omar Beckles, Shad Ogie, Armani Little, Bradley Dack and Josh Andrews came into the starting XI.
Ronan Hale tried his luck with a snapshot in the 12th minute. The ball was flicked on into the striker’s path, falling to him from 30 yards out from a tight angle near the left touchline. Hale struck the ball on the volley after spotting Connor Ripley off his line, causing the visiting goalkeeper to backpedal. Unfortunately, he could not hit the target, and his effort bounced wide of the near post.
Ripley produced a fantastic save to deny Hale after 31 minutes. Max Clark played the ball into the feet of the forward, who was stood 20 yards from the goal and to the left of the centre. Hale’s first touch was a brilliant one, shifting the ball inside into a large area of space. The Northern Ireland international then sent a shot towards the top right corner, which was well-saved by Ripley, who was at full stretch to push the ball over the top of the crossbar.
The visiting goalkeeper produced another brilliant save to deny Beckles soon after. Clark curled a corner from the right into the penalty area, finding the central defender, who glanced a header towards the far bottom corner. However, Ripley got down to his right to somehow claw the ball away from the line.
The loose ball was then cleared as far as Hale, who was on the right side of the penalty area, and he let loose from a tight angle, but his powerful strike cannoned into the side netting at the near post.
Harry Waldock tried his luck from 20 yards on the stroke of half-time, but his attempt was always rising, and it cleared the crossbar.
HALF-TIME: Gillingham 0-0 Swindon Town
In the 56th minute, the hosts somehow failed to open the scoring. Hutton’s cross from the right dropped for Clark, who volleyed the ball into the six-yard box. Hale tried to get on the end of it, but could not make the definitive contact, and a Swindon defender threw himself in front of the ball before the opportunity eventually fizzled out.
Hale tried to catch Ripley out from distance after receiving a pass from Waldock 25 yards from the goal. His curling effort was always rising, as it went over the target.
In the 69th minute, Aaron Drinan fired the visitors in front. Ripley’s long ball forward bounced, allowing Drinan to go through on goal. The forward made his way into the penalty area before smashing a shot into the bottom right corner beyond Turner.
Ollie Palmer nearly made it two with a speculative effort. The ball bounced around 35 yards out near the right touchline, and Palmer sent a thumping strike goalward. His attempt was directed towards the far corner and was dipping. Fortunately, it went just over the crossbar, with Turner off his line.
In the 80th minute, Dack sent a volley wide. A corner from the right was headed as far as Dack, who waited for the looping ball to drop to him before thumping the first-time strike goalward. The ball took a deflection on its way, taking it behind for a corner, which came to nothing.
Gillingham made a triple substitution moments later, as Garath McCleary, Seb Palmer-Houlden and Sam Vokes replaced Clark, Hale and Andrews respectively.
Fletcher Holman made it two for Swindon with less than five minutes remaining. Joel McGregor had the ball on the right before sending a low cross into the box. It made its way to Holman, who sent a first-time side-footed effort into the bottom right corner.
FULL-TIME: Gillingham 0-2 Swindon Town
Gillingham: Turner, Hutton, Gale, Beckles, Ogie, Clark (McCleary 81’), Little, Waldock, Dack, Hale (Palmer-Houlden 81’), Andrews (Vokes 81’)
Unused Substitutes: Morris, A. Smith, J. Williams, Rowe
Swindon Town: Ripley, Wright, Nichols, Tafazolli, Kilkenny, Knight-Lebel, Drinan, Batty (Kirkman 60’), Hoilett (Palmer 60’), Bodin (Holman 59’), Oldaker (McGregor 75’)
Unused Substitutes: Ward, Mabete, Borland
Attendance: 4991 (297)
Referee: Emily Heaslip
