United Manager Neil McDonald went for a very attack minded line up for this First Round FA Cup clash at the County Ground with a recall for big forward Derek Holmes.
Dave Raven and Paul Thirlwell shook off troublesome injuries to make the starting eleven, whilst Hindmarch came back on to the bench.
Swindon, who have enjoyed a fairly eventful week behind the scenes, welcomed new loan signing Sofiene Zaaboub on to the bench and new manager Paul Sturrock in to the dressing room.
The Robins had the wind with them for the first half and stand in keeper Phil Smith used it to his advantage with just 60 seconds on the clock when he launched a massive kick in to the Carlisle area. Kev Gray, running backwards, had to get his head on it and send it for a corner, preventing Westwood from having to deal with the awkward ball.
Smith repeated the move on 5 minutes, forcing another corner from Gray, but this time the half clearance broke for Weston 23 yards out. He skipped beyond Gall but got a poor connection on his shot, allowing Westwood to smother it down low at his near post.
Disaster struck in the 9th minute when Swindon broke quickly, using it well. Weston and Evans combined in the middle of the park, releasing Aaron Brown on the Carlisle right. His cross, swirling in the wind, was difficult for Lumsdon to deal with and his powerful downwards header left his keeper with no hope as it whistled in to the back of his own net.
The Cumbrians almost shot themselves in the foot again in the 15th minute when a loose pass from Hawley ran all the way through to Roberts on the edge of the box. A bobble caused him to slice his shot, and Westwood was pleased to see it drop over his bar.
Carlisle won themselves a corner in the 16th minute and were close to converting it as Lumsdon's curled delivery evaded everyone. Holmes was on to it at the back post, but he was always stretching and volleyed it in to the side netting.
The visitors were getting forward nicely, without producing an end product, in what was an encouraging spell of possession football as they settled themselves down.
Royce Brownlie was then guilty of a glaring miss that could have doubled the Robins lead in the 23rd minute when he slipped beyond Murphy in midfield and surged in to the box. With players in support, and just Westwood to beat, he lost his cool and lifted his effort high over the target.
Brownlie won a flick in an aerial challenge in midfield in the next Swindon attack, this time allowing Brown to race away. His deep, back post cross was caught by the elements and had Westwood scrambling as he watched it come down beyond the back post.
There was a chance at either end within the space of ten seconds in the 27th minute when Kev Gall caused home hearts to race with a looping cross that threatened to creep in to the goal. Glancing back off the bar towards Kev Harper, it was set up for the Stoke loanee to try his luck, but he scuffed his shot allowing Weston to break away. With three against two he picked out Brownlie with a precise pass that put him one on one with Westwood. The Carlisle keeper stood tall, and was able to fall on to the weak attempt when it came.
Christian Roberts was next to send a gilt edged chance way wide of the target when he was sent free by a Paul Evans pass. The big striker rushed his volley and could only acknowledge his wayward finishing to the rest of his team.
A switch of tactics by McDonald, when he moved Gall to the left and Harper to the right, resulted in a decent attack for United that had Swindon stretched. Thirlwell was on to the half cleared Gall cross but his 20 yarder was blocked by Ifil and ran away for a corner.
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3rd of the season for Kev |
Half Time: Swindon 1 - 1 United
Danny Livesey came on for Raven for the start of the second period, moving straight in to the right back position.
United would create the first opening when Hawley volleyed a first time pass to Gall. His cross found Holmes who nodded it down for Thirlwell, 20 yards out. Under pressure he went for the first time, left footed piledriver, but couldn't keep it down enough to trouble the target.
Swindon broke quickly again, through Ricky Shakes, but he opted for an optimistic long range grass cutter that Westwood was able to watch all the way.
It was a match in the balance and both Holmes and Hawley were unfortunate in the 52nd minute when a Livesey cross in to the box flew past the pair. Swindon picked up the pieces and got forward themselves, with a direct run from Roberts. His ball in to the middle brought Westwood off his line, punching clear from the head of Royce Brownlie.
Hawley showed his strength in the 62nd minute when he shrugged off the close attentions of Jack Smith down by the Swindon goal line. He wriggled his way free before picking out Holmes, 8 yards out. His first touch took him away from his marker and he was unlucky to see his shot drift wide as he wrapped his left foot around the ball and sent it across the face of goal.
Ricky Shakes found himself unmarked and on the end of a Zaaboub cross on 64 minutes as he worked himself some space at the far post. Murphy had to get across to block, and was also needed to clear the follow up as red shirts went in search of the ball.
A series of errors led to the second goal of the afternoon for the Robins, starting with Brownlie leaving two players in his wake with a neat flick out wide on the right. His pass towards Roberts found Livesey off balance, and the defender could only trap it with his arm as he hit the floor. Roberts was on to it like a flash, pushing it out from under his feet and giving himself the chance to stroke a thunderbolt in to the bottom corner beyond the dive of Westwood.
Shakes brought a save from close range from Westwood on 75 minutes as he jumped on to an Evans ball in to the box, and as Swindon kept the momentum going. The United stopper did well, parrying the drive and immediately pouncing on to the rebound.
Shakes came close once more on 85 minutes when some one touch passing sent Brownlie on the overlap. His clipped cross was slightly behind the impressive Robins player, and he could only nod it wide as he struggled to do enough to get it on target. At the oither end Hawley had a tricky back flick off his heel cleared off the line as he got on to Thirlwell's nod down.
Carlisle kept trying to get forward and Kev Gall put a curling shot in to Smith's midriff as the clock ticked down. However, the Robins would deal a killer blow when new arrival Lukas Jatkiewicz slipped Roberts through to notch his second of the afternoon. It was a good finish from the in form striker, who took two touches, beating his man, before blasting it in to the bottom corner.
Goals
Swindon - Lumsdon (8 og), Roberts (70, 90)
United - Gray (43)
Bookings
Swindon - Zaaboub (58), Evans (69)
United - Lumsdon (74), Aranalde (79), Thirlwell (84)
Teams
Swindon - P Smith, J Smith, Ifil, Williams, Brown (Zaaboub 41), Roberts, Shakes, Nicholas, Evans, Brownlie (Jutkiewicz 90), Weston. Subs - Stewart, Pook, Caton.
United - Westwood, Raven (Livesey 46), Gray, Murphy, Aranalde, Lumsdon, Thirlwell, Harper, Gall, Hawley, Holmes (Hindmarch 81). Subs - Williams, Billy, Grand.
