Swindon’s short unbeaten run came to an end on Saturday with a very indifferent performance.

Against Bury, who hadn’t won on the road since January, they never looked challenging and didn’t manage a single shot in the first half.

The Shakers took an early lead when Byron Moore’s guile and pace easily beat the Town’s defence.

Bury were always more eager and first to the ball and Swindon’s midfield seemed completely overawed and complacent. After only 30 minutes the manager did try to shake things up by replacing Ellis Iandolo with the more experienced Toumani Diagouraga.

Town did equalise after the interval and made it a little more of a competition, but it was no surprise when the visitors scored a second, again through Moore, to leave with all three points. In the end Swindon just about managed three shots in the whole of the game and goalkeeper Luke McCormick once again kept them in the contest with a couple of excellent saves.

How can a team that was so in command at Morecambe perform so abysmally just one week later? True that both Kyle Knoyle and Michael Doughty were missing yesterday, but Knoyle only played for 30 minutes last week and Doughty seemed to have one of his less-effective games.

Despite Phil Brown having blown his budget on a plethora of midfielders, it seems that none them are consistently performing well in those key positions.

Early in the season I recall he described James Dunne’s role as a midfielder “as a square peg in a round hole”, but his performance at right back yesterday will have done nothing to encourage a change in his position. Still at least he didn’t get sent off!

Again, the use of Jeremiah Adebayo is a mystery. He is 6 foot three and continues to be played on the flanks, when surely his presence would be far more effective centrally?

And when are we going to play further up the pitch and start making, and winning, tackles other than on the edge of our own box?

Town have now accumulated 12 points from a possible 24 and are sitting in 14th place. A very average start to the season from all angles. At least we are still above Mansfield – but only just.

Next Saturday Swindon travel to League 2 surprise package, Yeovil Town, and our young inexperienced defence can look forward to a torrid afternoon. The Glovers are on a hot streak having scored 13 goals in their last five league outings without conceding a single goal.

Phil Brown must be praying that one or both of Olly Lancashire and Dion Conroy are able to take to the field to bolster his rear-guard.