Ian Holloway feels selection of tall striker Harry Smith at centre-back paid off

Ian Holloway said his selection of tall striker Harry Smith at centre-back and a “no-formation” formation helped Swindon to a 2-1 comeback win over AFC Wimbledon.

Kabongo Tshimanga stuck away two late penalties to snatch victory from 10-man Wimbledon.

The Dons were cruising after Marcus Browne slotted home after the break but for the third game running dropped points late on from a winning position.

Holloway said: “Yeah, to see their manager’s face, it was worth the risk I took to put in Harry Smith at centre-half.

“They’d obviously done an awful lot of work about how they’re going to deal with him. He’s put in two other centre-halves who are massive ready to deal with him.

“They’ve obviously been wrestling dummies and all sorts. But my thinking was that I’ll still have Harry for set pieces. I gave him a rest because he was so tired.”

And with Wimbledon on course for victory Holloway launched all five subs at the match.

He said: “Their manager said to me, ‘I don’t know – what formation did you play?’.

“Well there ain’t no formation? What I do, I get all my skill out wide, I get all my big ones in the box, and then we keep putting it in. And it’s hard to deal with.”

A brilliant save by Connor Ripley kept out a dinked effort from Callum Maycock.

Paul Glatzel forced a point-blank save from Owen Goodman who then stopped a rebound effort from Joe Westley before defenders stopped Glatzel pouncing.

The Dons went ahead 11 minutes after the break when Browne hammered home after Ripley kept out his first effort and Josh Neufville hit a post.

Ripley then pulled off another superb save to stop Browne’s fierce near-post header from James Tilley’s pin-point cross.

But when Joe Lewis tugged down Smith, now playing up front, on 90 minutes Tshimanga blasted home from the spot.

Goodman then kept out two near-post efforts as Town pressed before John-Joe O’Toole got a second yellow for handball and Tshimanga got the winner with his second penalty five minutes into added time.

Dons boss Johnnie Jackson blamed the ref after seeing his side throw away all three points in the dying minutes.

He said: “I’ve just looked at the foul count. It’s 21 to nine to them. The referee tipped in their favour. It’s too big a disparity in a game like that where both teams are trying to do similar things.

“It’s a foul on our goalkeeper for one of the penalties, Harry Smith and Joe Lewis are both at it with the first one.

“Harry pulls Joe to get the wrong side of him, and then Joe pulls him back and gets a toe in and one is deemed a foul and one not.”