We were the better team – Robins chief
SWINDON TOWN ........... 1 TRANMERE ROVERS .... 1
SWINDON boss Scott Lindsey admitted to leaving World Cupbound Jonny Williams out of his squad in order to protect the Wales international – but insisted the Robins should still have won their Sky Bet League Two clash with Tranmere on Saturday.
The Wiltshire side extended their unbeaten League Two run to five games after coming from behind to earn draw, but the head coach, pictured, believed his men ought to have taken three points.
Tranmere went ahead after nine minutes as Josh Hawkes was slipped in after he made a well-timed run in behind the Swindon defence, took a touch and clinically finished past Sol Brynn into the bottom corner.
The visitors could have doubled their advantage when Kieron Morris won the ball from Ellis Iandolo and fed Chris Merrie, but he shot over the crossbar.
Just before the half-hour mark, Swindon struck back as Remeao
Hutton drilled low across goal and Jacob Wakeling arrived to prod the ball into the gaping net.
Ross Doohan saved Tranmere with five minutes left as Louis Reed hit a fabulous free-kick from 25 yards that dipped under the crossbar, only for the goalkeeper to claw it away.
Former Swindon man Jordan Turnbull saw red in stoppagetime as he took out Frazer BlakeTracey on the left as they both challenged for a loose ball.
Asked if he thought a point was a fair reward, Lindsey said: “I think we did enough to probably grab all three. Their keeper made some good saves towards the end. There weren’t loads of chances, but I felt that we were the better side, I felt we were the only team likely to go on and win it.”
On Williams, he added: “It’s a massive achievement for him to get to the World Cup. We didn’t want to get in the way of that and risk him. We were very wary of wanting to avoid him picking up an injury. He was left out of (our) squad, it had to be done.”
Swindon: Brynn, Harries, Brennan, Blake-Tracy, Hutton, Gladwin, Khan (Reed 83), Darcy, Iandolo (Lavinier 74), Wakeling (Roberts 83), Jephcott. Not Used: Baudry, Adeloye, Aguiar, Copland.
Goals: Wakeling 30.
Tranmere: Doohan, Dacres-Cogley, Simeu, Turnbull, Bristow, Morris (Davies 90), O’Connor, Merrie, Hawkes (Hughes 86), Nevitt (Burton 83), Hemmings. Not Used: Nolan, Jameson, Byrne, Hewelt.
Sent Off: Turnbull (90).
Booked: Turnbull, Nevitt, Simeu.
Goals: Hawkes 10.
Attendance: 9,425.
Referee: Lee Swabey (Devon).