Swindon Town 1 Bournemouth 2 - Catch Up

Charlie Austin cut quite a forlorn figure in the tunnel after the game and he was obviously as frustrated at the way things are going at the County Ground.

My clipping from the paper

Equally, Danny Wilson alluded to the fact that maybe the pressure would ease away from home as the Robins fans become increasingly annoyed. He looked to be proved right by yesterday’s amazing 4-1 win at Charlton and watching Austin score two goals against the Addicks, you could tell that he hadn’t let the Bournemouth defeat eat away at him for too long.

To Bournemouth’s credit though they are a decent side and might well surprise a few people this season and take one of the promotion spots. If that happens, they will find it difficult to hold on to 33 year old manager Eddie Howe in the summer … assuming he doesn’t leave in the next couple of weeks for Burnley, Bristol Rovers or one of the many other vacancies available.

Both of the Cherries goalscorers – skipper Jason Pearce and winger Marc Pugh – told me after the game that they were desperate for Howe to stay and you could feel the camaraderie in the squad – a major asset for a club of this size and with so few resources.

I would bet that Howe will see the campaign through to the end of the season on the south coast and then make his next career move.

Then again, after this performance I would have put money on Swindon slipping towards the trap door at a rate of knots and – as the win against Charlton showed – they have no intention of letting that happen.

Mind you, to ensure League One football next season they are going to have to hold on to Austin as without him it is difficult to see who can weigh in with twenty-plus goals.

Matt Ritchie pulled one back for Swindon before Pearce’s 80th minute overhead winner and even though he also found the net against Charlton – he’s no Charlie Austin.

Austin suffered a very bad injury before his career had even started belatedly fifteen months ago and so knows how fickle this game can be. Would he turn down a move this month to a Championship club? I doubt it and wouldn’t blame him. Could the club turn down an offer of £1 million plus having invested peanuts in acquiring him last year? I doubt that either.

I also doubt that Danny Wilson would be happy with the decision or that he’d survive until the end of the season if the board sold his star striker.

And the News of the World clipping