Ben Garner asks for new leaders from Swindon group after collapse against Exeter

Posted Sunday, February 06, 2022 by PA

Swindon head coach Ben Garner questioned his side’s leadership qualities after Exeter came from behind to beat the Robins 2-1 thanks to two goals in the last six minutes.

Joe Tomlinson’s opener looked to have set Swindon on course for victory before late strikes from Jevani Brown and Timothee Dieng turned the game on its head.

Garner said: “We’ve got to grow the leadership within the group and Mathieu Baudry as it stands is our only player over 30 years old.

“That’s something we have worked on from the start of the season and is something we are still trying to do.

“This season was never going to be plain sailing but we have to stay the process.

“I think in the last two games before this we should’ve scored more goals and when you are playing well you have to take the points.

“That’s come back to haunt us and we have made this a tougher spell than it needed to be. We have played well and not taken the points we should have done.

“When you play like that you have to take the points and likewise in that last 20 minutes when we aren’t playing as well you have to get through the game and come out with something.”

Swindon scored early in the second half through Tomlinson, who cut inside and buried his effort in the far corner.

But the hosts’ defensive resolve was not up to standard as two late quickfire goals handed Exeter victory.

Brown levelled with a powerful 30-yard strike, beating JoJo Wollacott in the 84th minute, before Dieng wrapped things up with a deflected effort two minutes from time.

The win moves Exeter into the Sky Bet League Two play-off places.

Grecians manager Matt Taylor said: “It was quite a good game of football, and fairness to both teams in difficult conditions because I thought both teams tried to play the game in the right way.

“It’s a fantastic stadium to play football in. The wind generally comes straight down the middle and it did have an effect. You saw some balls in the first half go straight up in the air and out of play.

“I was disappointed we went behind, it almost came out of nothing to a certain extent that neither team really created enough openings to be ahead in that game.

“And then after that, from that point onwards, we had to then somehow create some space on the football pitch and almost allow Swindon to have more of the ball to keep them open in their shape or have more attacking bodies in the right positions.”