After the disappointing start to this season's Avon Insurance Football Combination campaign, which yielded only one win in their first four matches, the reserves got back on track with a couple of victories in their next two games.
Bottom of the table Swindon Town were the visitors to Roots Hall on Thursday 28th August for our fourth home game in the space of three weeks. Defeated in their two previous games, away at Crystal Palace and at home to Spurs, the Wiltshire side suffered a third loss against London
opponents when we inflicted a narrow solitary goal defeat upon them. The visitors had player-manager Steve McMahon in their line-up whilst we fielded triallists Steve Ropley and Russian Yuri Koutun at the centre of our defence.
Despite their lowly pre-match position, Swindon nevertheless had an equal share of the early exchanges and twice within the opening ten minutes came close to scoring. Ourfirst opportunities to reply fell to Ian Bishop who was unlucky when his first effort from 30 yards flew a few inches wide of the left upright, whilst his second, from a free-kick just outside the penalty-area, went over the crossbar. In the next 20 minutes Lee Boylan twice went close whilst Gary Alexander headed following a high centre from Jason Moore after Craig Etherington had released him down the wing.
The second-half began much as the first with both defences holding out. The deadlock was finally broken in the 76th minute when Moore won the ball in the tackle and broke loose to set Boylan free. He evaded a defender on the edge of the penalty-area before driving his shot through the goalkeeper's legs. In the final ten minutes, Finn twice had to make good saves in order to deny Swindon an equaliser.