FOOTBALL: Impressive Swindon brush Forest Green aside (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Paolo Di Canio's Swindon Town side hit their stride

8:15am Wednesday 25th July 2012 in Sport

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Forest Green Rovers 0

Swindon Town 4

A POWERFUL Swindon Town performance secured a comfortable win over Forest Green Rovers at The New Lawn, writes Richard Joyce.

Paulo Di Canio’s League One outfit displayed their class as Rovers suffered their first major defeat of a busy pre-season schedule.

Swindon grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck early on and Troy Archibald-Henville steered a clever header in to the back of the Rovers net to put the Wiltshire side in front on 16 minutes.

Matt Bulman, starting in goal for Rovers against his former club, could do little to prevent Swindon from furthering their lead shortly after from the penalty spot.

Paul Green clipped the leg of Andy Williams and referee Brendan Malone had no issue with pointing straight to the spot, with skipper Caddis striking the ball firmly past Bulman.

One of the key men behind Swindon’s successful league campaign last season was Matt Ritchie and the highly rated midfielder produced a sublime volley on goal just before the break which Bulman brilliantly palmed away.

Rovers’ best chance fell to Omar Koroma in the 66th minute when he headed a James Rowe corner narrowly over from close range, only for Swindon to extend their lead just a minute later.

Luke Rooney’s deep cross from the left fell to the back post where Gary Roberts did well to slam home a Swindon third.

The Robins would make it four with a clever corner kick routine as the game entered the final ten minutes and it was Simon Ferry this time who took advantage, drilling the ball past Bulman.

It was a final moment that illustrated the gulf in quality between the two sides.