Just after arriving at the County Ground I was informed that the Swindon lads were off to Cardiff for their Christmas egg nog and mince pies immediately after the game. Having been caught out before on days like this, I decided to try and catch them outside the players exit rather than wait in the warm of the Press Room in the hope that one of them might call by.
As anyone at the game on Saturday will recall, the temperature plummeted as the sun went down and consequently the lads were confronted by a reporter more concerned with whether his toes were still attached to his feet than what they had to say!
Before the game, I was interested to see how the players would react to Paolo di Canio's rant last week during which he slated many of them and questioned whether they were good enough to get the club promoted. It could have gone either way.
For the first twenty minutes or so Swindon weren't really in the game. However, I think credit has to go to Morecambe here as they were knocking the ball about well.
After Jake Jervis had scored the opener though, the Robins took full control. And Rafa De Vita's second on the stroke of half time seemed to knock the Christmas stuffing out of the visitors. By the time Ronan Murray had sealed the win in the second half, the home team's thoughts had probably drifted off to the pleasures awaiting them in South Wales.
From a Swindon fan's point of view it was a good result - and probably also a relief to see the positive reaction to di Canio's blast was a positive one.
The players I spoke to through chattering teeth, as they made a dash to their cars, were also fully behind their boss.
Rafa De Vita told me that as a 15 year old he had come to England (to join Blackburn) not knowing "how to feed myself or tie my own shoelaces" and consequently had "to toughen up fairly quickly." Criticism was something he said you learnt to deal with in football and he revealed, "it was more important to react the right way to criticism, especially when it came from someone like him (di Canio)".
Matt Ritchie was of the same opinion and said, "it just goes to show his level of expectation. We've not lost in fifteen games, but he still wants us to improve. That can only be good for the club."
Jervis was delighted to grab his fifth goal in eleven starts and said, "I came here to gain experience and so the goals have been a bonus. I have one game to go and hopefully can finish on a high."
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