Second half strikes from Ryan Tafazolli and Aaron Drinan made it a happy new year for Swindon as they strengthened their case for automatic promotion.
Town wrapped up 2025 in good fashion with a stylish 2 goal win at Cheltenham on Monday night. It saw Swindon end the year having won the most points in the division across the calendar.
Their first test of 2026 was against a Gillingham side winless in 17. Ian Holloway made just 2 changes to his stretched eleven with the injured Paul Glatzel and James Ball being replaced by Will Wright and Filozofe Mabete.
Gillingham’s Ethan Coleman will have felt he could’ve done better when unmarked he headed Aaron Rowe’s cross over the bar from close range.
In the 18th minute Gavin Kilkenny found the run of Aaron Drinan behind the backline, the striker courageously opted to hit the ball on the bounce and saw his effort fly wide of the post.
The visitors had another headed opportunity with 32 minutes gone, it saw Elliot Nevitt head over from a corner which Connor Ripley failed to claim. Swindon were playing some good football in passages but were failing to engineer chances.
Instead, the chances continued to go the way of Gillingham, Aaron Rowe forced Ripley into a low save after holding off Tafazolli and Mabete to work a shot at goal.
Swindon made an encouraging start to the second half as they won a string of corners. Gavin Kilkenny had a sight of goal in the aftermath of a corner sending an effort onto the roof of the net from the edge of the box. Town went on to convert their dominance into a lead with Ryan Tafazolli rising the highest to flick home Finley Munroe’s free kick.
The Robins last 3 goals had now come via set pieces, and it was almost made 4 when Will Wright saw his free kick creep just wide of the post on the hour mark. Connor Ripley was on hand with a defyingly strong hand to save a close-range Coleman header in the 66th minute. Moments later Town’s number 1 went one better at full stretch to deny an effort from former Town man Jonny Williams.
In the 85th minute Gillingham came a whisker away from an equaliser as former Swindon loanee Jonny Smith wove his way for a shot which cannoned off the post. It would prove to be a what if moment as Town scored their second in stoppage time to secure the points.
Ollie Palmer dug out a brilliant cross on the byline to find Aaron Drinan at the back post. In fitting fashion Swindon’s man of the season headed home his 19th goal of the campaign to see in the new year.
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