Michael Flynn hails Swindon’s battling qualities after win over Sutton

Posted Sunday, September 10, 2023 by PA

Michael Flynn said his Swindon team showed real character to hold on to claim all three points against Sutton with a thrilling 5-3 win.

Jake Young bagged a first-half brace as the Robins stormed into an early 3-0 lead only for Sutton to come fighting back.

Swindon boss Flynn said: “I take enjoyment with the way we played, for the boys to do it in that heat, even if there was a lull after they scored.

“We allowed them to get back into the game, which I didn’t like, but at least they had the character to come back out in the second half and pick up and go again.

“At times in that second half we were blistering, if you will pardon the pun.

“I don’t play kamikaze football, I play educated football, and I wanted us to be patient and not fall into their trap.

“I was still disappointed with the goal we conceded, and we should have had two stonewall penalties.

“That was important as they went down the other end and scored, but some of the football we played was absolutely superb.”

League Two Player of the Month Young scored after five minutes when he drove into space and tucked his shot in at the near post.

Swindon had their second inside 20 minutes when Dan Kemp picked up a loose ball in the area and set up Jake Cain to curl into the corner of the net, before Young got his second capitalising on some comical defending

Sutton managed to pull one back before the break as Craig Clay dispatched from the top of the box, before Ben Goodliffe turned home a long throw.

Kemp seemed to have won it for Swindon in the second half as he scooped a shot over Jack Rose and in off the bar.

Harry Smith made it a nervy finish when he was given space at the far post and turned the ball home, but Rushian Hepburn-Murphy scored a marvellous individual goal to seal the points for Swindon.

Sutton assistant manager Jason Goodliffe said: “I am obviously really disappointed with the start, 3-0 down after 20 minutes is exactly what you don’t want away from home.

“To be fair to the lads, we showed a real good attitude and a good character to come back into the game.

“And at 3-2, I felt that we had a penalty that was not given in our favour when (Josh) Coley went through and we were still fighting throughout the second half.

“Obviously, they got the fourth goal which went against us and then even when we were still fighting we got ourselves back in it at 4-3 and it was very much end-to-end stuff. Unfortunately we’ve come out on the wrong end of the 5-3 defeat.

“But unfortunately you can’t start games like we did and be 3-0 down.”