DOYLE DOUBLE SENDS ROBINS TO TOP SPOT
DESPITE his Swindon side hitting the top of the table after victory at Salford City, there were mixed feelings from manager Richie Wellens after the game.
A fourth straight win propelled the Robins to the summit of the fourth tier but, despite that, Wellens still wants more from his players.
The home side had gone ahead through Adam Rooney’s penalty, but the Robins hit back swiftly via Eoin Doyle, before the Bradford City loanee notched his second from the penalty spot.
Jerry Yates gave the away side some breathing space when he scored with 12 minutes remaining, before Rooney scored his second from the spot, but it was too little, too late for the hosts.
After watching loanee striker Doyle notch another couple of goals in Swindon’s success, Wellens said: “I’m not satisfied yet, far from it.
“If teams around us win their games in hand on us, we won’t be top of the table.
“It’s a good result here, of course, this is not an easy place to come to and the home supporters are right on top of you.
“Their first goal was never a penalty, too – that was a joke. We looked a threat pretty much throughout, though. We produced some crisp moves and we looked good.
“We were a bit too deep, and it was like ‘Land of the Giants’. We knew before the game what was going to be coming, but our centre-halves dealt with the aerial threat really well. When we went 3-1 up we weren’t good enough, though.
“At that late stage of the game we should be seeing games out comfortably, but today we didn’t look solid towards the end and that could have cost us.”
Wellens went on to salute Bradford loanee Doyle, who now has 16 goals for the campaign.
The 31-year-old’s future will soon come sharply into focus as the transfer window approaches.
Wellens added: “People keep talking and talking about what’s going to happen with Eoin, but until January there’s nothing we can really say. Both clubs and Eoin will just have to get on with it until January.”
Salford opened the scoring early from the penalty spot. Rooney coolly slotted home after he had been clumsily tripped by Swindon goalkeeper Steven Benda.
The Robins equalised in the 10th minute, though, when Doyle met Michael Doughty’s ball, before side-footing home his ninth goal in six.
Salford came close to regaining the lead when Rooney flashed a low drive inches past a post following Joey Jones’ excellent pass.
In first-half stoppage-time, Swindon skipper Mathieu Baudry headed narrowly over the top from Kaiyne Woolery’s cross.
But Swindon went in front from the spot in the 54th minute. Doyle smashed home his 16th goal of the season after Salford skipper Liam Hogan blocked Yates’ shot with an arm.
Twelve minutes from time it was 3-1, when Yates mopped up the loose ball after goalkeeper Chris Neal couldn’t hold on to strikes from Doughty and then Doyle. Rooney scored a second penalty with the last kick of the game after Baudry had felled Jones. Salford boss Graham
Alexander was downhearted, but not deflated after his side fell to just a second loss in nine games in all competitions.
“We’ll have to take this defeat on the chin,” said Alexander.
“I don’t think anyone could really begrudge Swindon the win.
“In the first half we were fine, there was nothing in the game at all. It was two good teams going at each other. We were a bit more tentative in the second half, though, and Swindon gained some crucial momentum.
“They got their goals at exactly the right time. We put in plenty of hard work, but it just wasn’t enough today.”
SALFORD: Neal 7, Wiseman 6, Hogan 7, Burgess 6, Touray 6, J Jones 7 (Thomas-Asante 83, 6), Threlkeld 6, Towell 6, Jervis 6, Rooney 8, Dieseruvwe 6 (Armstrong 65, 6). Subs not used: Piergianni, Maynard, Letheren, D Jones, Doyle.
SWINDON: Benda 5, Hunt 6, Baudry 6, Fryers 6, Iandolo 6, Grant 6 (Rose 90), Lyden 6, Yates 7, Doughty 7 (Caddis 90), Woolery 7, Doyle 9 (Jaiyesimi 90). Subs not used: Broadbent, Curran, McCormick, Zakuani.