Four off in Town win

From the This Is Swindon Town FC, first published Saturday 24th Nov 2007.

Swindon Town 1 Bristol Rovers 0

TOWN won a tempestuous local derby thanks to Christian Roberts' disputed second half penalty.

Jerel Ifil and Sofi Zaaboub were sent off for the home side, while Richard Walker and Steve Elliott both saw red for Rovers in a frantic final 10 minutes at the County Ground.

Danny Coles thought he had equalised for Rovers in the dying minutes but his effort was ruled out for offside.

Rovers almost stunned Town in the first minute when skipper Stuart Campbell played in top scorer Rickie Lambert and the striker lashed a right-foot shot against the crossbar.

Three minutes later Campbell's inswinging free-kick was flicked goalwards by Danny Coles but Peter Brezovan gathered easily in the Town goal.

Michael Pook had the Robins first effort on goal after eight minutes, but his speculative long-range shot flew well wide.

Jon Paul McGovern then fired straight at Rovers gloveman Steve Phillips from Craig Easton's knock down after Christian Roberts had delivered a free-kick from the left.

Brezovan was called into action again after 13 minutes when Campbell played in Sean Rigg and the big Slovak made a fine double save at the striker's feet.

Rigg brought another save out of Brezovan on 25 minutes, wriggling free from Jack Smith and Jerel Ifil before firing a tame left-foot shot goalwards.

Ifil then found himself in a shooting position next to the Rovers' penalty spot but fired high over the crossbar after the visitors had failed to clear.

Town wasted a glorious opening on the half hour mark when Brezovan's long punt downfield saw Simon Cox clash with Steve Phillips. The ball broke to Roberts with Phillips running back towards his own goal, but Roberts' shot-cross was wasteful.

Rovers centre back Steve Elliott then headed just over from a Campbell corner as Rovers threatened again.

With seven minutes until half-time, Lambert fed Rigg and he cut inside Miguel Comminges and shot straight at Brezovan.

At the other end, the ball broke to Cox on the edge of the Rovers' box, but the on-loan striker dallied too long and the visitors cleared for a corner.

In first half stoppage time, Town failed to clear another corner and Disley volleyed at Brezovan to bring the first half to a close.

Town almost got the breakthrough three minutes into the second half when McGovern volleyed Roberts' floated cross back across goal, but Elliott was on hand to head the ball clear.

Then Rigg got goalside of Ifil and forced Brezovan into another fine block, before limping off with what looked like a hamstring injury, to be replaced by Andy Williams.

The first yellow card of the game went to Cox for a sliding challenge on Phillips, although the Rovers goalkeeper looked to make a meal of it.

Town took the lead from the penalty spot after 65 minutes. Joe Jacobson was judged to have fouled Roberts in the box and the Swindon winger slid the ball low to Phillips' left.

As the rain came pouring down, Rovers winger Lewis Haldane drilled a left-foot shot from 25 yards which had Brezovan diving to his left to tip the ball wide.

Rovers then made a double substitution, with Richard Walker and former Town midfielder Sammy Igoe replacing Haldane and David Pipe.

Igoe almost made an immediate impact with a volley that drifted just over the bar.

The inspired Brezovan then blocked well from Williams when the Rovers' sub burst clean through on goal following a slip from Jack Smith.

Barry Corr replaced the innefective Billy Paynter with 12 minutes to play as Sturrock looked to shore up his one-goal advantage.

Craig Disley then wasted a good chance for Rovers when his lame effort was held by Brezovan following Walker's knock-down.

With six minutes left a fight broke out between both sets of players. Jerel Ifil saw red for Town, while Walker and Elliott were both given their marching orders for Rovers.

Almost from the restart Coles lashed the ball past Brezovan, but as the visitors celebrated the flag went up from the linesman.

Sofi Zaaboub had only been on the pitch two minutes when he was dismissed for a late lunge on Stuart Campbell as the game ended in chaos.

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