Swindon v Torquay - Capital One Cup

It's my first trip of the season to the County Ground this evening to cover the Robins versus the Gulls and I'd just like to apologise in advance for any naff jokes about feathers flying in my report!

Looking in from the outside during the summer break, the changes at Swindon have been intriguing. In fact from the moment the new owners took over late last season, I've wondered what is going on and I feel for the fans.

I know that most clubs have their ups and downs, but Town seem to lurch from crisis to potential crisis every year - with a little taste of success thrown in now and again just to give the supporters false hope.

I guess that most fans of most clubs could argue that they suffer in the same way, but even when times were good under di Canio recently, I still had my concerns. So many players were signed or passed through the club that surely it didn't make fiscal sense. One ex-player described the Italian's transfer policy to me as 'revolving door recruitment'.

Di Canio got away with it though and looks like he may have taken the same philosophy to Sunderland.

What Swindon really need is a big cash injection from a reputable source to help the club move forward. I'm afraid that a tie against Torquay isn't going to help in this regard and I wonder whether the fixture will draw in enough punters to make it worthwhile turning the lights on.

Torquay Alan Knill is one of the best young managers in the game and will bring a team including former Swindon strikers Billy Bodin - son of former Town favourite and current coach Paul - and Elliot Benyon. How many times having players returned to haunt the old clubs? Not what Swindon need this evening.

Knill was delighted with his team's draw at home to Wimbledon on the opening day and while Robins caretaker boss Mark Cooper oversaw a 1-0 defeat at Posh, I still expect the home side to have more than enough for their League Two opponents.

A plumb second round draw against a Premier League outfit would be useful for both teams of course, but I can't help but feel that the Swindon directors will be chewing their nails a little more than their opposite numbers tonight.

Cheltenham Town 2 Burton Albion 2

Rory Delap rescued a point on his debut to leave Mark Yates seething.

Former Derby and Stoke midfielder Delap, 37, scored the equaliser when he buried Alex MacDonald's corner from ten yards in the 56th minute.

But Delap also helped Burton back into the game on the stroke of half time when MacDonald flicked his cross onto the arm of Robins skipper Russell Penn and Billy Kee converted from the spot.

Cheltenham boss Yates blasted:

"I spent two hours at a managers’ meeting at Walsall, with half an hour spent on handball decisions and how the referee has given that handball against Russ Penn I will never know. We should have had one too, but he booked Terry Gornell for diving and he got them back in the game. Maybe the referee was ring rusty."

And Burton manager Gary Rowett admitted:

"The key moment was the penalty. We were a little tepid in the first half, but there was bundles of character out there and I think a draw was a fair result."

Rowett was also delighted with Delap's performance, but felt his side should have taken advantage of the midfielder's famous long throw-ins. He said:

"We had some half chances in the box and one or two off Rory's throws if we'd anticipated them a bit better. That's something we need to work on."

The two teams kick off the 2013/14 season

Former Exeter striker Jamie Cureton gave his new club the lead in the 22nd minute as Cheltenham dominated the first half.

But Cureton, also 37, was left writhing in agony with a dislocated shoulder and stretchered off after colliding with two Burton defenders when bravely poking the ball in from eight yards after rookie keeper Jordan Pickford had flapped at a goal kick from opposite number Scott Brown.

Ten minutes after replacing Cureton, substitute Byron Harrison added a second.

Winger Jermaine McGlashan's long range curler flew off central defender Marcus Holness and fell kindly for Harrison to stroke the ball in from twelve yards.

Albion should have taken the lead after only SEVENTEEN seconds, but MacDonald scuffed his shot wide from the edge of the with only Brown to beat.

And Cheltenham winger Sam Deering came close to nabbing the points in the 76th minute, but his long range effort hit the bar.

Delap is looking for one more taste of glory before hanging up his boots.

Former Premier League midfielder Delap, 37, grabbed Burton's equaliser on his debut before dismissing suggestions he was looking for an easy life. He said:

"I've seen how much Burton have progressed and feel we can do well this season. If this is my last one, I'd like to go out on a high."

Delap had the option of moving into a coaching role after being released by Stoke and revealed:

"They offered me a role before the change of manager up there and I had another offer, but you are a long time retired. While I think I can still do a job, I'll carry on playing and I definitely felt good out there."

My piece from Sunday's paper

... and from Monday's edition

Cheltenham Town 0 Northampton Town 1

My piece from the Monday paper

Luke Guttridge sealed Northampton's place in the play-off final - three years after the club got rid of him.

Former manager Ian Sampson released Guttridge, but the feisty midfielder was brought back by current boss Aidy Boothroyd and repaid his faith with some style in the 28th minute.

Striker Ade Akinfenwa flicked on Lee Collins throw-in and Guttridge volleyed home his second of the season past helpless keeper Scott Brown from 25 yards to add to Ray O'Donovan's first leg winner.

Boothroyd was delighted to get through to a final against home town club Bradford and said: "It's going to be a strange one for me and the family won't be getting any free tickets. We were resolute and played the game and not the occasion. We've done reasonably well to be where we are and we've now got to go and finish the job off against another good team."

Northampton stopper Lee Nicholls shut out last season's beaten finalists from the spot in the fifteenth minute. Ben Tozer up-ended fellow midfielder Russell Penn as he darted into the box, but Wigan loanee Nicholls did superbly to get down and push Marlon Pack's poor penalty kick away.

And Nicholls produce two point blank saves from substitutes Kaid Mohamed and Shaun Harrad as the Robins became increasingly desperate.

Disappointed Cheltenham boss Mark Yates refused to single out Pack's penalty miss and said: "I'm not criticising anyone. We win as a team and we lose as a team. The players have done the town proud and have to pick themselves up and go for a good night out. It's an achievement to get to the play-offs in successive seasons, but it's no consolation at the moment."

Birmingham City 1 Blackburn Rovers 1

My piece from Sunday's paper

Jordan Rhodes made it a rotten 48 hours for former boss Lee Clark and Birmingham City.

Scotland international striker Rhodes snatched a point for Rovers in the 66th minute to leave his old Huddersfield manager Clark groaning:

"No-one needs to tell me what that boy's about and I told my players. He reacted to the situation and my defenders didn't."

England keeper Jack Butland did brilliantly to block David Jones's point blank header from Morten Gamst Pedersen's long throw, but the rebound popped up for Rhodes to head in his 28th goal of the season from two yards.

Keeper Butland, 20, said:

"Sometimes you get lucky when you make a save and it'll go clear and sometimes you get a good striker like Jordan Rhodes who's in the right place at the right time."

But the England stopper took the positives from his season long loan from Stoke and revealed:

"I've enjoyed this season, it's been good. It's been everything I needed it to be. I've had a lot of games and had a chance to make my mistakes, but I've been pretty consistent and learned a lot as well."

But Clark was left seething with the performance and blasted:

"We've got better standards than we showed in the second half. It was a decent first half and we could've been more than one goal up. If we'd done it right we could've put the game to bed.

"But it was poor in the second half. It looked like a last day of the season game which makes me unhappy.

"I'm disappointed not to have finished higher because of the goal difference - that's been our Achilles heel."

To make matters worse for City, it was announced on Friday that club President and major shareholder Carson Yeung has lost a two year legal battle he has been waging in Hong Kong and will now face trial on money laundering charges.

Ravel Morrison opened the scoring three minutes before half time in Clark's 50th game in charge.

West Ham loanee Morrison was fed the ball by fellow midfielder Morgaro Gomis on the left  of the area and drilled it past Poland keeper Grzegorz Sandomierski from fourteen yards for his third goal of the campaign.

Both goalkeepers produced excellent saves before the break.

Butland raced out to close the gap on Rhodes before getting down to palm his low shot to safety in the 27th minute.

Five minutes later Sandomierski beat away winger Nathan Redmond's swerving thirty yard strike.

And Sandomierski also did well to claim a long range dipping volley just under his crossbar from Swindon loanee full back Paul Caddis.

Meanwhile Blackburn's Indian owners, the Venky family, were ordered to pay former boss Henning Berg £2.25 million in compensation by the High Court this week following his 57 days in charge.

Rovers caretaker boss Gary Bowyer has now seen three managers sacked this season and has been tipped to land the role on a permanent basis, but will need to sort out the futures of 61 players including eight loanees during the summer break if he gets the nod.

Bowyer identified Rhodes as Rovers main man and said:

"He's been outstanding for us all season and deserves all the plaudits. He's contracted to the club and the club have invested a lot of money in him so we need to build a team around him to strive to get into the Premier League.

"In the first half we didn't play with the tempo and intensity we have done in recent weeks, but in the second half we could've nicked it."

Bowyer will find out his week whether Indian owners, the Venky's, will give him the role on a permanent basis and he admitted:

"It's an important summer for the football club. The main conversations were about how to get through these last couple of games and that had to be the main focus. Obviously all the talk now will be who will be appointed or will it be me and that's something the powers-that-be will have to discuss.

"Hopefully we'll find out more in the coming week. This is the first time I've enjoyed it because we're safe."

But Clark is already planning for better times and said:

"It'll be exactly the same as this season in terms of there'll not be a transfer fee being paid. And the budget will be nowhere near where it was, so players coming in will not be getting the salaries that the players have in the past.

"The kids have been brilliant and so they deserve an opportunity. I'll probably carry three or four players next year in terms of age and experience and it's important that you have those types of players.

"I'll get some good young players and they'll be rewarded if they're successful. That'll be the difference in the contracts now and going forward. If they help he club get where it wants to be, they'll get the financial rewards. They'll just not be sitting on massive contracts for not being successful. That ain't a bad model.

"I know we're getting forced into it a little bit, but even if I had a transfer kitty, this is the way I want to go in terms of young players. I'm looking forward to it. I'm excited. It'll be tough, I'm not daft, but this club's still a massive pull for players."

And Monday's clipping

Bristol City 1 Huddersfield Town 3

My piece from this morning's paper

James Vaughan nabbed a hat trick to send out a 'Don't forget me' message to Norwich boss Chris Hughton.

Vaughan took his total to thirteen goals during his season on loan at Huddersfield, but when Hughton starts planning next season's campaign he might want to consider the in-form striker.

Former Everton hit man Vaughan, 24, hasn't given up hope of making it at Carrow Road and said:

"I'll look to fight for my place at Norwich. I got injured last season a few times. I started pre-season well and the gaffer told me to go out and get some games and that's what I've done."

And Vaughan is convinced that being a regular for the Terriers has helped him regain his fitness and form. He said:

"I think in the past my injuries have occurred when I’ve been coming off the bench and not featuring so regularly, but playing so much this season has helped me a lot. Whenever I have had a niggle, the medical staff have been absolutely brilliant with me – taking care of me and getting me back within days.

"It’s a brilliant club. Everyone has taken me in with open arms here and I’ve tried to do as much as I can by throwing myself into it."

Huddersfield need one point against fellow relegation candidates Barnsley on the final day to be sure of beating the drop and boss Mark Robins said:

"We are on 57 points and we are still not safe, it is incredible. We're at home next week against my former club and that'll be a tasty affair no matter what happens.

"The good thing now is that there are other teams below us who need to win. I am not sure what the permutations are with fixtures, but our safety is still in our hands."

Central defender Lewin Nyatanga nodded in a late consolation for the bottom club, but admitted:

"There's no hiding place, our performance wasn't good enough. I apologise to the fans."

City's Ghana international winger Albert Adomah has already been linked with summer moves to Middlesborough and Crystal Palace, but revealed:

"I still have a contract with Bristol City. The club have always been good to me and I like it here. They gave me my chance and even helped me to play international football. With the financial fair play rules they may not be able to keep me next season, but they will always be important to me."

City manager Sean O'Driscoll was left seething after his team's poor display and said:

"If I could explain it, I’d do something about it. They trained on Thursday like they were world beaters, but on Friday morning until we stopped the training session, they trained like they hadn’t kicked a ball in their lives.

"Basically we are not good enough. Losses are inevitable at times and it is how you lose that counts. We have a lot of work to do during the summer and need to man-up."

Vaughan grabbed his first goal in only the second minute against the division's bottom club.

Midfielder Oscar Gobern lifted a long ball over the Bristol defence and Lee Novak raced on to it before unselfishly teeing up Vaughan to side foot in from ten yards.

Eleven minutes later Vaughan netted his second.

Novak was fouled by Liam Kelly thirty yards out and Vaughan out jumped the defence to glance in Oliver Norwood's floated free kick from eight yards.

And Novak was involved again as Vaughan completed his hat trick with his thirteenth goal of the season.

Impressive co-striker Novak lifted a cross over City's static defence from the right in the 64th minute and Vaughan popped up at the far post to nod home.

City's consolation goal came in the 90th minute.

Full back Greg Cunningham crossed the ball from the left and Wales international Nyatanga netted in his second of the campaign from five yards.

Ten minutes later keeper Tom Heaton did well to stop Vaughan scoring another when he blocked a low shot with his feet.

Huddersfield should have added to their lead as they dominated the first half.

In the first minute Norwood curled a 25 yard free kick from the left inches wide of the far post.

And in the twentieth minute Novak split the defence to find Vaughan, but Heaton did brilliantly to palm away his point blank shot.

Wretched City only had one effort on goal before the break, but midfielder Kelly saw his 35 yard low drive fizz past the post.   

My clipping from Sunday's paper

Walsall 1 Bury 1

My piece from today's paper

David Worrall helped relegated Bury to a consolation point before blasting Chairman, Brian Fenton.

Impressive full back Worrall revealed:

"The club's in a mess, the Chairman's gone off on holiday and no-one can tell me where. He's not answering his phone to me or the office staff.

"I'm only twenty-two, captain and the only player with a contract for next season - it shouldn't be happening at a professional football club.

"I've been here for five years now and I think that it's a good time for a change. I've heard that a couple of clubs are interested in taking me depending on where they finish this season."

Former Manchester United youth prospect Febian Brandy opened the scoring in the 22nd minute.

Striker James Baxendale wriggled his way into the box from the right before cutting the ball back for Brandy to slot in his seventh goal of the season from twenty yards.

Brandy and fellow winger Jamie Paterson both had penalty claims turned down and striker Will Grigg had a shot beaten away by keeper Cameron Belford as Walsall tried to build on their lead.

Relegated crisis club Bury started brightly and striker Jonson Clarke-Harris took advantage of an eleventh minute mix up between keeper Sam Johnstone and defender Dean Holden to nip in a head an effort against the post.

Brandy admitted he now needs to think about his future. He revealed:

"My contract runs out in July and I have some thinking to do. Walsall's been good for me. The manager and the lads are great, so are the fans. Everyone connected with the club has been brilliant.

But I'm twenty-four now with an eight month year old daughter and so I have to think about her security as well."

Efe Sodje's last gasp equaliser piled on the misery for Walsall.

Player-coach Sodje grabbed his first goal of the campaign in the 90th minute when he pounced to poke in the rebound after striker Johnson Clarke-Harris's 30 yard free kick had come down off the bar.

But the draw - and Swindon's win against Stevenage - left the Saddlers six points off the play-off places with one game to play.

Walsall had recovered from an early season sixteen game winless run that saw them fearing relegation at Christmas, but manager Dean Smith said:

"We've just fallen short at the end. We've had an excellent season and there have been some good solid performances, but this wasn't one of them. I'm sitting here disappointed - having gone fifteen games undefeated.

"Forty-five games in and to be where we are is a fantastic achievement; there are a lot of teams that would like to swap places with us."

Kevin Blackwell only named two substitutes and refused to use youth players despite Bury's long injury list and explained:

"I've seen young players' careers being ruined by playing them too early and so there was no chance of that happening."

"The club's waiting for things to happen and for people to come forward to help this week. If the manager gets full backing, it's going to be a great challenge."

Swindon Town 4 Crewe Alexandra 1

Adam Rooney's brace helped rout the Railwaymen and put Swindon's play-off hopes back on track.

Swindon had won only three of twelve games and slipped from second place in the table following former manager boss Paolo Di Canio' walk out in February.

But new boss Kevin MacDonald had his side ready to do battle against a Crewe team that seemed to have one eye on their summer break.

Rooney opened the scoring in the fifth minute.

Central defender Aden Flint nodded down a forty yard free kick from skipper Alan McCormack and Rooney pounced to blast the ball into the roof of the net from two yards.

Spurs on loan midfielder Massimo Luongo bravely added a second in the eighteenth minute.

Midfielder Gary Roberts crossed the ball from the left and Aussie Luongo beat defender Harry Davis's boot to the ball to head in his first Swindon goal from fourteen yards.

Hot shot Rooney grabbed his second seven minutes later when he nodded in Luongo's corner from eight yards to claim his ninth goal in nine starts since arriving on a season long loan from Birmingham.

Skipper Davis pulled a goal back from the spot in the 65th minute.

Striker Max Clayton was brought down by keeper Wes Foderingham and Davis slotted in his first of the campaign.

But substitute James Collins sealed the win in the 71st minute when he took the ball off midfielder Oliver Turton just outside the area and fired in his seventeenth goal of the season.

Seconds before Luongo's goal Flint shut out Crewe.

Foderingham flapped at a corner from Michael West and Flint headed Kelvin Mellor's far post volley off the line.

Swindon should have scored more, but Roberts missed a sitter from two yards and keeper Alan Martin blocked Collins shot from ten yards.

Swindon manager Kevin MacDonald is now eyeing promotion via the play-offs and said:

"The whole group put in a very good performance and we need to do that for another five games. Everyone played very well and I was pleased with their efforts. We started well and got the early goal and then got our just desserts."

Crewe boss Steve Davis said:

"I'm not going to be too harsh. We needed to look at some of our squad players for next season against one of the best teams in the division. I need to know whether they'll be good enough and now's the time to look at them. Some have done well and some haven't.

When you have an average age of twenty, you're going to get nights like this."

My clipping from the morning paper

Cheltenham Town 1 Gillingham 0

My clipping from this morning's paper

Scott Brown showed his dogged side to push through the pain barrier and keep Cheltenham's promotion dream alive.

Brown, 27, shut out the Champions elect to give his team a chance of grabbing an automatic promotion place themselves.

But the Robins stopper was dosed up on pain killers to get through the game with a badly bruised and swollen foot and he revealed:

"I had two pain killers before the warm up, two before the game and two at half time. I probably won't be able to feel it now until next week!

"The foot was trodden on in training on Thursday, but I won't say who did it as I don't want to embarrass them. It was a complete accident - at least I hope it was."

And Brown revealed his pet dog has been taking advantage of his recovery programme. He joked:

"For some reason he has developed a taste for ice. He's been helping himself from the ice box I use to keep the swelling down and prefers it to the biscuits I give him."

Loanee Reading central defender Michael Hector chalked off the misery of an own goal last weekend by nodding in the winner in the 67th minute and Brown praised the twenty year old. He said:

"He's here to learn his trade and learn from his mistakes, but I never doubted his attitude. At times he looks like a Premier League player already and he's a nice lad too."

Both keepers had kept the game scoreless before the break with good saves.

In the 33rd minute Gills hit man Danny Kedwell tried a cheeky overhead kick from just inside the box which had Scott Brown back-peddling to tip the ball over the bar.

And two minutes later opposite number Stuart Nelson scooped away a low drilled shot from striker Russell Penn through a crowded area.

Cheltenham boss Mark Yates was delighted with his side and said:

"It was vital we won and it keeps us in with a shout. All we can do is take care of ourselves. We've taken four points off the best team in the league. We had aggression, a competitive edge and to a man they were one million percent better than last week."

"That is the performance I want next week at Exeter. Hopefully we can take it to the last game of the season."

Gillingham needed a point to wrap up the League Two title, but the Robins had the better of a game which sealed a play-off place at the least.

But former Cheltenham manager Allen refused to moan about the result and is looking forward to wrapping up the title at home to Wimbledon next week. He said:

"It was a hard fought game between two top sides in the division. We hold our hands up, shake their hands and move on. It would've been great to get a goal and go up, but a win next week and we'll be Champions.

"I do hope they go up. I don't give a monkey's what the fans shout, I still love this place and it's always been special to me."

"We did alright and the players performed well, but Cheltenham did very well. We can look forward to next Saturday when a win will make us champions."

My clipping from the Sunday editon

Walsall 1 Sheffield United 1

My piece from Sunday's paper

Party pooper Chris Porter returned to the Blades ranks to grab his side a valuable point.
Striker Porter, 29, snatched a valuable point for promotion chasing United in the 64th minute after replacing sick teammate Dave Kitson at half time and dented Walsall's play-off chances.

Porter also revealed he had United's best interests at heart when he signed a recent loan deal with Shrewsbury. He explained:

"I knew I wasn't going to play for few games and it was a no-brainier to join them because they'd be playing some teams near the top and I thought if I could work some magic, it might help Sheffield United.

"I had a few options to go to different places, but looking at the games Shrewsbury had in respect to Sheffield United, I went there and we managed to beat Tranmere so I might have had an impact."

Kevin MCDonald hits one post, then the other post and finally Chris Porter (partially hidden by a, er, post) scores 

Midfielder Kevin McDonald's shot from 22 yards hit one post before rolling across the goal line to hit the other, but Porter reacted first to prod it in to keep the club's automatic promotion hopes alive and spoil Walsall's 125th anniversary celebrations.

Relieved United boss Danny Wilson said:

"We never got to grips with it in the first half and there were a few choice words said at half time, but in the second half we got better. Who knows how important that point might be at the end of the season?

"It was important for Chris to go and get some games at Shrewsbury and it might just be the making of him. Dave started with a migraine. We never thought he'd play the whole game anyway, but we had a good replacement in Ports."

The Saddlers have only lost one game this year as they close in on the play-off places and striker Craig Westcarr opened the scoring one minute before the break.

Lively co-striker James Baxendale crossed the ball from the right and Westcarr turned defender Harry Maguire before drilling in his fifth goal since joining the Walsall's promotion push in January.

Craig Westcarr, 28, said:

"It's going to be about who's consistent and who's more ruthless. It's down to us. We have to win our games to give ourselves the best chance. If we get nine points and don't make the play-offs then fair play to the other teams, but I don't think they're good enough to pull away."

Frustrated Walsall manager Dean Smith said:

"There's a sense in the dressing room that we got beat. With the number of chances we should've been out of sight. Thirteen games unbeaten is a fabulous record and we've still got something to play for.We played against one of the big hitters in the league and we outplayed them."

Walsall bossed the first half with winger Febian Brandy and Baxendale in particular terrorising the United defence.

And Brandy came close to scoring two minutes before Westcarr's goal when he skipped past three defenders on the left side of the box, but dragged his shot inches wide of the far post.

My clipping from today's edition

Cheltenham Town 1 Northampton Town 0

Steve Elliott edged Cheltenham closer to the automatic promotion places and dented the Cobbler's own hopes.

Elliott broke the deadlock with his fourth goal of the season one minute before the break.

Full back Keith Lowe curled a cross over from the left and keeper Lee Nicholls did well to block Elliott's header from eight yards, but was helpless when the central defender hooked in the rebound.

Northampton cranked up the pressure after Elliott's goal and keeper Scott Brown pulled off three great saves in eight minutes to keep his side ahead.

Brown did brilliantly to palm away a 30 yard curler from winger Chris Hackett in the 71st minute before rushing out to block Roy O'Donovan's low shot with his feet and then deny the striker's low angled shot at the foot of the post.

Both sides had chances in a cagey first half and Ade Akinfenwa nodded wide from eight yards for Northampton while full back Sido Jombati headed straight at Nicholls from Sam Deering's cross.

Robins boss Mark Yates was delighted with both the win and his keeper. He said: "We know we've got some tough games to go. It was vital that we won if we had any aspirations to finish in the top three. Scotty made a couple of saves which is what he's paid for, but he's one of, if not the, best keeper in the league."

Northampton manager Aidy Boothroyd was disappointed to lose, but said: "We were strong in every department so we just have to say well done to our opponents, shake their hands, buy them a beer and move on. It was a good performance, but we just couldn't break them down."

My piece from this morning's paper