Richie Wellens has play-off push on his mind after Swindon beat Colchester

Posted Sunday, March 03, 2019 by PA

Swindon manager Richie Wellens is targeting a late play-off push after a 3-0 win at home to Colchester.

Goals from Canice Carroll, Luke Woolfenden and Kyle Bennett kept alive the Robins’ hopes of a top-seven finish.

Boss Wellens said: “We ground it out in the first half because it was poor.

“We have got to give them credit, they play good football that can cause you problems. The first goal came at the right time, we played in front of them.

“Every ball in behind to Theo Robinson caused them problems. If you look at all the chances, they more or less came to us.

“When we’ve finished next week, we’ll have an idea if we’ve got a shout of the play-offs or not.

“We’ve only got a small chance of the play-offs because the games are running out, but if we can have a good run at it, it’ll give me an idea into the players’ characters.”

A dull first half sparked into life when Carroll opened the scoring with a composed close-range finish in the 39th minute following a nice team move.

Woolfenden nodded home from a James Dunne cross two minutes later to put Swindon 2-0 up and cruising in the blink of an eye.

Bennett settled the contest in the 66th minute with his first Robins goal – a long-range strike that slipped through the fingers of Rene Gilmartin and into the net.

Colchester rarely threatened but two Brennan Dickenson shots, one in each half, from tight angles went wide to create mild panic for the home supporters.

Jak McCourt also twice came close, with a long-range chip in the first half and a free-kick in the second, both of which were saved.

Colchester manager John McGreal said: “We had the game for 40 minutes, Swindon had not had a shot at goal, and we missed a glorious chance early on.

“I am thinking we’re totally in control and have got into good areas but have been wasteful, but then three mistakes and there was a couple of goals in a couple of minutes.

“We were shell-shocked at half-time. We tried to regroup and had a great opportunity where Brennan Dickenson has gone clean through but blazed it over.

“We had to go for it but the third goal was another mistake. You thought it was a comfortable save.

“Rene Gilmartin’s normally got safe hands. Maybe the wind had something to do with it.”