Swindon Town 1-1 Gillingham: a match report by football correspondent Alfie Howlett

Last gasp Smith header gives lift-off to the Holloway era

Harry Smith’s late header rescued a point for 10 men Swindon in a thoroughly absorbing contest.

After the departure of Mark Kennedy in the Swindon hot seat, caretaker Gavin Gunning took temporary charge of yet another game. With new manager Ian Holloway watching on in the stands, Swindon made four changes to the team which lost at Salford in midweek. 
Bycroft replaced Barden between the sticks, Grant Hall returned in place of the much-scrutinised Miguel Freckleton. Skipper Ollie Clarke replaced Nnamdi Ofoborh and Aaron Drinan came in for Joel Cotterill. Visitors Gillingham, who flew out of the traps earlier on in the season, arrived winless in their last five.
The first sight of goal came for The Gills after five minutes when Tim Dieng latched on to a loose ball and fired into the side netting on the right side of the box. The 11 v 11 contest quickly became a 11 v 10 when Grant Hall was rightly shown a red card for a ludicrously high tackle on Tim Dieng. The returning centre half met Dieng off his feet with a high challenge which could’ve caused serious damage. It offered the visitors a massive opportunity to end their losing streak.
The first chance was offered to Oliver Hawkins, in fact the first two chances. At first the tall striker hit the bar with a good header away from goal, then on the follow up he somehow fired wide with the goal gaping.
However, the Kent outfit soon made the most of their advantage when former Swindon striker Jacob Wakeling served the ball on a plate for Tim Dieng to fire home from point blank range with 16 minutes gone. It saw incoming manager Ian Holloway come to the front of the stand to take a further look at affairs.
With Swindon seemingly on the ropes, you would’ve thought that the visitors would’ve looked for a knockout blow. However, there was very little to write home about for both sets of sides for quite some time. Which was only good news for Swindon as they soaked up the pressure.
The Robins came close to levelling the contest with their closest sight of goal of the afternoon in the 41st minute, when Harry Smith found the side netting with a difficult headed chance from a George Cox cross. Then at the other end Gillingham were denied, doubling their lead thanks to a brilliant Bycroft save from a low and powerful Dieng header.
Half time arrived with Gillingham holding both a man and one-goal advantage.
Will Wright pulled off one of the tackles of the season after half time when he slid in to deny Jacob Wakeling from pulling the trigger following a fast counterattack.
As the game passed the hour mark, a sense of optimism grew at The County Ground with Swindon very much up for the fight. In truth it really did look like a 11v11 at times with Town doing all of the running. They were conducted from the stands by Ian Holloway, who, standing in the front row, passionately roared his new troops on. In truth Swindon failed to seize the momentum and as a result, the game somewhat drifted.
But deep in stoppage time they had one last surge and with it came a dramatic ending, Tunmise Sobowale was set free to the byline thanks to a Wright through ball. There he found Harry Smith queuing up at the back post to head home and spark celebratory scenes. It was just what Town deserved and felt like a poignant lift off moment in the new Ian Holloway era.
So it finished level in a thoroughly absorbing contest. Full credit to Town for what was a mammoth effort with a man less. Next up, Ian Holloway will take charge of his first game when the FA Cup rolls into town and Swindon take on Colchester.