SWINDON TOWN 2-1 COVENTRY CITY
City: Murphy, Christie, Adams (Maguire 87) Seaborne, J.Clarke, Thomas, Fleck, Baker, L.Clarke, Moussa, Dagnall. Subs; Burge, Webster, Barton, Daniels, Phillips, Haynes.
Swindon: Foderingham, Bryne, Luongo, Hall, Harley (Storey 70), Mason (Kasim 46), Ranger, Pritchard, McEveley (Barthram 46), Ward, Ajose. Subs Belford, N'Guessan, Thompson, Storey, Gladwin.
HT STFC 0-0 CCFC FT STFC 2-1 CCFC ATT 9291
GOALS Leon Clarke 50, Yaser Kasim 76
Referee G.Ward Booked Fleck, Christie, Baker, Dagnall, Foderingham, Hall
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The feast of Christmas comes later but Swindon Town and Coventry City served up a highly entertaining repast which unfortunately saw the Sky Blues go down to a defeat they did not deserve.
The talk was of the new stadium designs, which have been largely derided by much of the City support, whose numbers (1219) at the County Ground was not near their average of 2,166 due to a myriad of reasons including Swindon insisting on selling the dearest tickets first, the safety concerns over the Main Stand and the fear of safety of getting in and out of the ground due to the threat of hooliganism, something which saw one pub shut before the game.
On a wet, miserable afternoon, Steven Pressley was without Callum Wilson and brought back loanee Chris Dagnall.
There was plenty of noise from the City support, including plenty from London, Bristol and Wokingham to name but a few areas, in the corner of the main stand and the open end behind the goal, who had applauded Ernie Hunt when he was unveiled before kick off.
Nile Ranger - a character in the mould of a former Swindon manager was lively early but it was former Swindon striker Leon Clarke who had the first chance of the game in the seventh minute when he headed a Christie cross at Foderingham.
The Robins won the first corner of the match two minutes later and two minutes later, City did the same. That was initially cleared but in came Carl Baker with a cracking cross that just missed Leon Clarke.
Both sides fired at the keeper and Swindon won another corner as the attacking football continued.
In the 17th minute, Luongo fired wide following a corner and City countered and Franck Moussa went wide with his second shot of the game.
A 22nd minute corner was followed by a Dagnall shot being pushed away for a corner.
City's cause was helped by some excellent tackles - one by the excellent Conor Thomas before the half mark which left saw the Coventry kid win the ball and leave Ranger, who had also been cleverly dispossessed by Jordan Clarke, on his backside.
Christie whipped in another great cross and another cross from the left by Adams was put wide by Leon Clarke at the far post.
Darren Ward, the less talented brother of former Sky Blue Elliott, fired at Murphy as Fleck and Christie went into the book for tackles.
Fleck redeemed himself with a shot that went not far wide but as the bookies had predicted, there was little between the two sides at the break.
Mark Cooper made two changes at the interval for the start of a second half that saw City attacking the end where the City fans were.
Baker blasted over but in their first attack, Ranger helped the Robins win a corner and draw a great save out of Joe Murphy.
Five minutes had been played when Carl Baker got in a peach of of a cross and Leon Clarke dived from thirteen yards to powerfully head City ahead.
Some good defending from City cleared a 55th minute corner and the Sky Blues battling for every ball with every player getting stuck in, was great to see.
It helped to win a 68th minute corner and Carl Baker thunded a shot off Foderingham's left hand post six minutes later.
In the 76th minute, Swindon were given a free kick in a central position and substitute Yaser Kasim was able to direct his kick past Murphy on his left.
Moussa got in a shot and a Christie cross sailed over as Murphy made a good stop at the other end.
Fleck thumped the bar with a blinding thirty yard but in the 86th minute, substitute Miles Storey was allowed to break and slot past Murphy.
Chris Maguire was sent on but it was not enough and another three points went elsewhere, leaving the City fans to trudge through the mud all the way round the ground back to their vehicles due to a police decision which caused more hassle than it saved.