Swindon Town once again failed to excite their home crowd as they were defeated 2-1 on their home turf against Accrington Stanley.

The opening 45 minutes was largely devoid of excitement as Swindon controlled the flow of the game but without creating a whole host of presentable chances.

Aaron Drinan got his second goal in as many matches to give Town the lead early in the second half, but Jack Nolan’s penalty and Alex Henderson’s screamer saw the visitors leave with the points.

Swindon are now winless in their last three matches in the league and remain on course for the club’s lowest-ever Football League finish.

Gavin Gunning made three changes to his starting 11 as he reverted back to his normal back four away from the back three that had been used at Mansfield Town. Rushian Hepburn-Murphy started for the first time since he scored a brace against Tranmere Rovers as George McEachran and Williams Kokolo also returned.

Gaps were appearing early on for Swindon as Dawson Devoy clipped a delightful pass out to Hepburn-Murphy. With an outstretched leg, he brought the ball under his spell, accelerated beyond the defender and then slammed a shot narrowly wide of the near post.

After ten minutes Swindon had a glorious chance for the opener as Charlie Austin switched the ball out to Hepburn-Murphy. He was able to spot the run of Devoy, whose shot created a goalmouth scramble as Austin, Aaron Drinan, and Paul Glatzel all tried and failed to turn home inside the six-yard box.

All the chances were falling to Swindon inside the opening 20 minutes as a corner fell to McEachran on the edge of the area. He tried to drill a shot low towards the bottom corner, Drinan attempted to control it and had the ‘keeper sold, but the ball bounced up and struck him on the arm as he looked to turn into the unguarded net.

Hepburn-Murphy was the real bright spark as he raced beyond Josh Woods after Glatzel fed him the ball. He made it from the halfway line to the by-line and floated a cross into Austin at the far post. He chested the ball down, but his strike was blocked before it reached Vitek.

It took 30 minutes for Accrington to offer any attacking threat whatsoever as they won a pair of corners from Tommy Leigh having a fierce shot deflected behind.

This woke them up and they had the ball in the net before long as a wide free-kick was turned onto the chest of Jack Bycroft from close range, Korede Adedoyin turned home on the rebound but he was well offside.

From this point, the visitors edged an incredibly dull half of football and had a big chance on the stroke of half time when Dan Martin received a cutback on the edge of the area but his effort came off the outside of his boot and sailed wide.

Town made a quick start to the second 45 as Austin flicked the ball out to Glatzel on the left and he hammered the ball towards the near post, but Vitek was there with a smart stop.

From the resulting corner the ball dropped in the middle and Drinnan stormed through a crowd of bodies to leather the ball into the back of the net from six yards out. Two in two for the Irishman.

Swindon came close again in the 51st minute as Glatzel held off three defenders on the edge of the area and sent a bobbling effort towards goals. Vitek was able to dive across and just tip the ball round the post.

The visitors were presented their way back into the game as Shaun Whalley got beyond Williams Kokolo and then was tripped by Devoy to earn a spot kick. Nolan stepped up and blasted the ball into the top corner, giving Jack Bycroft no chance despite going the right way.

Glatzel and Kokolo combined nicely down the left after 68 minutes and the former teed up the latter of the edge of the box. The full-back looked to slot a finish in at the near post, but the defender stuck out a foot and made the block.

Devoy then jinked away from his marker on the edge of the box and curled an effort towards the top corner, but Vitek made a fine save to deny him.

With eight minutes remaining Henderson was allowed to drift in field and he unleashed a vicious strike that flew beyond Bycroft with a moment of sheer quality surrounded by an ocean of apathy.

STFC starting XI: Bycroft, Blake-Tracy, McEachran, Glatzel, Hepburn-Murphy, Kokolo, Devoy, Godwin-Malife, Drinan, McCarthy, Austin.

STFC substitutes: Brann, Elbouzedi, Brewitt, Genesini, McGurk, Cain, Aguiar.

ASFC starting XI: Vitek, Mellor, Hills, Whalley, Gubbins, Nolan, Leigh, Martin, O’Brien, Woods, Adedoyin.

ASFC substitutes: Quirk, McIntyre, Bickerstaff, Adekoya, Henderson, Woods, Conneely.

Attendance: 6,085 (74 away).