Simpson was robbed of a hat-trick – Garner

SWINDON boss Ben Garner was delighted to see his Robins side take three points at Oldham, but blasted the officials for denying young striker Tyreece Simpson a hat-trick, writes Neil Goulding.

Simpson’s superb double and Harry McKirdy’s opener did the damage, with Oldham captain Carl Piergianni’s late effort a mere consolation at Boundary Park.

Talented teenager Simpson saw a goal controversially chalked off for offside.

“We need to be a little more ruthless with our finishing,” said Garner afterwards. “Saying that, we’ve had a perfectly good goal disallowed.

“I’ve seen it back and I can’t understand how a linesman on the opposite side has disallowed it for the ball going out of play. I’ve seen it again, it’s not even close to going out of play.

“He’s just robbed a 19-year-old of his first senior hat-trick, which is disappointing, but I’m really pleased for Tyreece to get the two.

“It is his first experience of League football, he was a late starter in the game and we’re delighted for him.

“I’m just disappointed he’s not gone away with the matchball because he deserved it.”

Swindon made it four League away wins on the spin, and they are

OLDHAM ATHLETIC ........ 1 SWINDON TOWN .............. 3

yet to lose on the road so far this season. They are five points off top of the table Forest Green in fifth position.

Garner added: “The first half was really good, I was really, really pleased.

“We made it harder than we needed to, if I’m honest, that was the only thing, but we continued the great away form with a great performance, so full credit to the players once again.

“We scored terrific goals and it would have been good to score a couple more.

“It would have been nice to make it a bit easier than it was in the end.

“It should never have been that close, and we need to learn from that going forward, but overall it was very pleasing.”

Oldham: Leutwiler, McGahey, Piergianni, Clarke, Hope, Bowden (Modi 81), Bettache, Whelan (Vaughan 75), Couto, Keillor-Dunn, Bahamboula. Not Used: Fage, Da Silva, Diarra, Edwards, Southerington.

Booked: Bowden.

Goals: Piergianni 90.

Swindon: Wollacott, Kesler, Baudry, Conroy, CrichlowNoble (Odimayo 46), Iandolo, Gladwin, Reed, Williams (Payne 66), Simpson, McKirdy (East 83). Not Used: Ward, Mitchell-Lawson, Gilbert, Hunt.

Booked: Iandolo, McKirdy.

Goals: McKirdy 32, Simpson 79, 90.

Attendance: n/a.

Referee: Anthony Backhouse (Cumbria).