Dreamy Drinan hat-trick causes cup upset

Aaron Drinan scored a perfect hat-trick during Saturdays (6/12) game, to take Swindon into the 3rd round of the FA Cup for just the second time in 13 years.

Drinan opened the scoring with a penalty, headed hometown’s third, and rounded off with the pick of the bunch through a terrific lob. Joe Snowdon scored a sizzling second in what was one of Swindon’s greatest performances in recent memory.

In search of their 4th League 1 scalp of the season, Swindon sported 6 changes to the XI which toppled EFL Trophy holders Peterborough on Tuesday night. Amongst the changes, match winner Ollie Clarke and top scorer Aaron Drinan came into the team. The visitors Bolton were enjoying a strong season, and like town came into the contest unbeaten in their last 5. The Robins had beaten the 4-time FA Cup winners just once in the last two decades, but it came in their last meeting in 2017.

Swindon made a strong start in front of a healthy crowd, Joe Snowdon called Tyler Miller into action with a low shot inside the opening minute. The cup upset was on when town took the lead in the 8th minute. Chris Forino’s hand ball from a Gavin Kilkenny cross gifted Aaron Drinan a chance to open from the spot. Drinan made no mistake as he sent Miller the wrong way to send the town end into early jubilation.

Bolton boasted obvious quality and were clearly the higher opposition as they moved the ball with good intensity. However, Swindon were content to defend with The Trotters testing only on a handful of occasions. Jamie Knight-Lebel did well to block a goal bound effort from Theirry Gale in the 22nd minute. Midfielder Josh Sheenhan, with 25 minutes played, rattled the crossbar from range courtesy of a town deflection and a Ripley fingertip.

On the stroke of the half hour mark town had a golden opportunity to double their advantage. Bolton gave the ball up inside their own box allowing Billy Bodin to bury into an open net. The Welshman got it horribly wrong and dragged his effort wide.

Two minutes shy of the break, Connor Ripley did superbly to keep town’s lead intact when he pushed over a Gale curler at full stretch. Billy Bodin had a chance to make amends in injury time. Joe Snowdon back heeled a ball in behind for Bodin to run on to where his left footed effort was miscued for a goal kick. Town went in at the break to rapturous applause, it could’ve been a 3-goal lead, but a 1 goal lead was more than celebrated.

The celebration went up a notch when Joe Snowdon fired Swindon into a two-goal cushion in the 55th minute. Gavin Kilkenny’s cross went all away across the box to Snowdon on the right. There, he took just 1 touch to tee up a stinging effort into the far corner. It was a fantastic finish which put a Swindon foot into the 3rd round of the FA Cup.

Both teams continued to play at a good pace, but it was Swindon who looked the most likely to add to the scoring. The Robins did just that in the 76th minute when Aaron Drinan got between his markers to flick home a corner for his second of the afternoon. It was proving to be a dream day at the office.

Swindon almost hit 4 when Jamie Knight-Lebel headed against the frame of Miller from a free kick. But the man now nicknamed ‘Drinaldo’ wrote his name into town folklore with their 4th and his hattrick. A long clearance was raced on to by Drinan who claimed the ball about 30 yards out on the left wing, with the keeper off his line Drinan audaciously lobbed him. It was a spectacular effort to round off a sensational Swindon showing.

By far the performance of the season for Ian Holloway’s men, composed at the back and classy in attack. Several players showed the very best of their ability, Drinan secured the headlines, shout outs should go to Joel McGregor and Ollie Clarke. Swindon can dream about the 3rd round draw on Monday before playing Cheltenham on Tuesday.