LEEDS United happily played the role of Dick Turpin at the County Ground but one of their wounded Town victims is adamant they can still snatch the ultimate prize.
Maurice Malpas' analogy of likening Leeds to the infamous highwayman showed his understandable frustrations, after seeing his Robins side dominate with no reward on Saturday.
But midfielder Craig Easton insists an eight-point gap to the play-offs leaves them far from down and out and is calling on Saturday's bumper crowd to return to SN1 and help Town snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Had Simon Cox showed his usual clinical finishing we would not have been talking about Leeds' daylight robbery, but his wayward header from just two-yards late in the first half proved to be the costly moment.
Before then Tresor Kandol's bullet header had given the visitors a 25th-minute lead. From there in on, Town were the only team in it, but poor finishing and a lack of end product left a bumper County Ground faithful frustrated once more.
Easton said: "They had one chance and I don't think Phil had a great deal to do apart from that. I think the wind spoiled the game a wee bit as well but of course we are disappointed we did not take anything from it.
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"I have seen teams come here and have three or four chances. If a team gets just once chance in a game that is always going to happen but unfortunately they have stuck it in. It was a really good header.
"That could have been the turning point today with the fact it was Leeds. They are just a League One team though and there will probably be better teams coming here to play this season.
"It could have been the catalyst with the amount of fans we got in here. Today could have been the day but we look at Tuesday now and if we can win that and go on a run then who knows. The play-offs are certainly not gone yet."
Malpas stuck with the same side that drew at Oldham on Tuesday but was quickly called into action, replacing the injured Patrick Kanyuka with Jerel Ifil in the heart of defence.
Questions will rightly be asked as to how Kandol was given so much space to head home David Prutton's driven cross, leaving Phil Smith no chance, but how Leeds hung on to the points remains a mystery.
Cox's close-range header was the most obvious miss but Christian Roberts and Billy Paynter were also guilty of spurning scoreable opportunities.
Easton said: "It is all about those ifs and buts. If Coxy puts that in and if Robbo gets a better connection - that is football I suppose.
"Tuesday is another opportunity at home though and we really need it if we are to get back on a run. If we have any play-off aspirations it is going to have to start Tuesday night against Huddersfield.
"There was a brilliant amount of people and hopefully we can get them back on Tuesday night.
"It was a great atmosphere and the sort we want to be playing in every week."
Posted by: outoftown, Swindon on 8:59am Mon 3 Mar 08
Can we forget the play-offs please? I know it's an objective setting exercise to make sure the team try to get as many points as they can, but it's obviously not working.
Can we forget the play-offs please? I know it's an objective setting exercise to make sure the team try to get as many points as they can, but it's obviously not working.
Posted by: barney42, swindon on 8:59am Mon 3 Mar 08
"There was a brilliant amount of people and hopefully we can get them back on Tuesday night.
He must be havin a laugh,we will be lucky to get half that attendance.
we should be more worried about relegation than the play offs.WE ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH.MAURICE MALPAS IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH EITHER.MR FITTON OBVIOUSLY DIDNT DO HIS HOMEWORK ON MALPAS.HE HASNT GOT SUPPORT OF FANS OR PLAYERS.
"There was a brilliant amount of people and hopefully we can get them back on Tuesday night.
He must be havin a laugh,we will be lucky to get half that attendance.
we should be more worried about relegation than the play offs.WE ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH.MAURICE MALPAS IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH EITHER.MR FITTON OBVIOUSLY DIDNT DO HIS HOMEWORK ON MALPAS.HE HASNT GOT SUPPORT OF FANS OR PLAYERS.
Problem 4 me 5k Swindon fans just did'nt know who was who and were easily out shouted by the Leeds , doubt we will see them back this season 2 morrow Huddersfield will brin a bus load so expect 4.5 k again .
Problem 4 me 5k Swindon fans just did'nt know who was who and were easily out shouted by the Leeds , doubt we will see them back this season 2 morrow Huddersfield will brin a bus load so expect 4.5 k again .
Posted by: M Mack, Highworth on 9:49am Mon 3 Mar 08
We were not unlucky against Leeds, we were woeful. Leeds were poor and we were worse than Leeds. I don't think there was lack of effort, just a lack of thought, creation, movement, belief, formation, skill, belief, oh and a decent manager. Thank goodness we were in a decent position before Malpas took over, because otherwise we would be in deep trouble now. This is borderline relegation form.
We were not unlucky against Leeds, we were woeful. Leeds were poor and we were worse than Leeds. I don't think there was lack of effort, just a lack of thought, creation, movement, belief, formation, skill, belief, oh and a decent manager. Thank goodness we were in a decent position before Malpas took over, because otherwise we would be in deep trouble now. This is borderline relegation form.
Posted by: danielsan, London on 10:10am Mon 3 Mar 08
Sadly I couldn't make the game but I said back after the Barnet game that we should abandon this play off hope sillyness. I watched the QPR game on Sky over the weekend and we would get CRUCIFIED in the Championship. Look at the way Sheffield United played against Middlesborough the other night - the pace, finishing, passing - it's like the jump from Championship to Premiership now and we're just not good enough! Not sure if it's all down to MM as half the players are still div 1 or 2 standard but he'll be judged on results and so far it's not pretty. I'm not a serial moaner but I think it's time to be realistic as much as I still love my team.
Sadly I couldn't make the game but I said back after the Barnet game that we should abandon this play off hope sillyness. I watched the QPR game on Sky over the weekend and we would get CRUCIFIED in the Championship. Look at the way Sheffield United played against Middlesborough the other night - the pace, finishing, passing - it's like the jump from Championship to Premiership now and we're just not good enough! Not sure if it's all down to MM as half the players are still div 1 or 2 standard but he'll be judged on results and so far it's not pretty. I'm not a serial moaner but I think it's time to be realistic as much as I still love my team.
Posted by: callumbus, swindon on 10:33am Mon 3 Mar 08
[quote][bold]danielsan[/bold] wrote:
Sadly I couldn't make the game but I said back after the Barnet game that we should abandon this play off hope sillyness. I watched the QPR game on Sky over the weekend and we would get CRUCIFIED in the Championship. Look at the way Sheffield United played against Middlesborough the other night - the pace, finishing, passing - it's like the jump from Championship to Premiership now and we're just not good enough! Not sure if it's all down to MM as half the players are still div 1 or 2 standard but he'll be judged on results and so far it's not pretty. I'm not a serial moaner but I think it's time to be realistic as much as I still love my team.[/quote] Think you are spot on there. We haven't really dominated games this season (apart for a couple of matches) and our relatively high position earlier on the season flattered to deceive.
The jury's still out on Malpas but the squad is largely what he inherited and even the new signings were apparently already on the wishlist when he arrived - giving him no time to make his own list of targets before he got to know the English football scene and the transfer deadline was already looming.
For the first time for a number of seasons we have no exceptionally good players in the squad and this lot are certainly not good enough. I'll judge MM (assuming he isn't hounded out before then) by what he is able to do in the close season when, hopefully,Mr Fitton will be getting the cheque book out.
danielsan wrote:
Sadly I couldn't make the game but I said back after the Barnet game that we should abandon this play off hope sillyness. I watched the QPR game on Sky over the weekend and we would get CRUCIFIED in the Championship. Look at the way Sheffield United played against Middlesborough the other night - the pace, finishing, passing - it's like the jump from Championship to Premiership now and we're just not good enough! Not sure if it's all down to MM as half the players are still div 1 or 2 standard but he'll be judged on results and so far it's not pretty. I'm not a serial moaner but I think it's time to be realistic as much as I still love my team.
Think you are spot on there. We haven't really dominated games this season (apart for a couple of matches) and our relatively high position earlier on the season flattered to deceive.
The jury's still out on Malpas but the squad is largely what he inherited and even the new signings were apparently already on the wishlist when he arrived - giving him no time to make his own list of targets before he got to know the English football scene and the transfer deadline was already looming.
For the first time for a number of seasons we have no exceptionally good players in the squad and this lot are certainly not good enough. I'll judge MM (assuming he isn't hounded out before then) by what he is able to do in the close season when, hopefully,Mr Fitton will be getting the cheque book out.
Posted by: Russ STFC, swindon on 11:13am Mon 3 Mar 08
All everyone seems to do is talk a good game including MM.playoffs don't make me laugh easton,Im sort of happy as most of us would have settled for this at the start of the season.but what worrys me if this was the start of the new season we would be struggling,we have def gone backwards.I dont mind if we get beat and play well but to play bad and get beat is relegation form.No more playoff talk please just get on with your jobs and put a run together.and mr fitton i beg you please sack MM if we end up near the bottom in may,i dont want us having to beat millwall or those gills to stay up.SORT IT OUT NOW.starting from tuesday night
All everyone seems to do is talk a good game including MM.playoffs don't make me laugh easton,Im sort of happy as most of us would have settled for this at the start of the season.but what worrys me if this was the start of the new season we would be struggling,we have def gone backwards.I dont mind if we get beat and play well but to play bad and get beat is relegation form.No more playoff talk please just get on with your jobs and put a run together.and mr fitton i beg you please sack MM if we end up near the bottom in may,i dont want us having to beat millwall or those gills to stay up.SORT IT OUT NOW.starting from tuesday night
Posted by: Rockin_Robin, Swindon on 1:05pm Mon 3 Mar 08
[quote][bold]Hertz[/bold] wrote:
Problem 4 me 5k Swindon fans just did'nt know who was who and were easily out shouted by the Leeds , doubt we will see them back this season 2 morrow Huddersfield will brin a bus load so expect 4.5 k again . [/quote] Got that right! My next match will be Millwall on 3rd May!!
Hertz wrote:
Problem 4 me 5k Swindon fans just did'nt know who was who and were easily out shouted by the Leeds , doubt we will see them back this season 2 morrow Huddersfield will brin a bus load so expect 4.5 k again .
Got that right! My next match will be Millwall on 3rd May!!
Posted by: Rockin_Robin, Swindon on 1:05pm Mon 3 Mar 08
[quote][bold]Hertz[/bold] wrote:
Problem 4 me 5k Swindon fans just did'nt know who was who and were easily out shouted by the Leeds , doubt we will see them back this season 2 morrow Huddersfield will brin a bus load so expect 4.5 k again . [/quote] Got that right! My next match will be Millwall on 3rd May!!
Hertz wrote:
Problem 4 me 5k Swindon fans just did'nt know who was who and were easily out shouted by the Leeds , doubt we will see them back this season 2 morrow Huddersfield will brin a bus load so expect 4.5 k again .
Got that right! My next match will be Millwall on 3rd May!!
Posted by: barney42, swindon on 1:45pm Mon 3 Mar 08
. Look at the way Sheffield United played against Middlesborough the other night - the pace, finishing, passing -
you have got be kidding,that game was absolute dire,it was so awful i did not watch second half.
. Look at the way Sheffield United played against Middlesborough the other night - the pace, finishing, passing -
you have got be kidding,that game was absolute dire,it was so awful i did not watch second half.
Posted by: pcowley, Swindon on 6:35pm Mon 3 Mar 08
Some Swindon fans bore me to death with there moaning week in week out!! If Swindon had Mourinho as manager these fans would still moan! I can honestly say that some fans were still moaning before about the previous 1-10 managers.Again i support the team for what they are, a 1st division club with average 1st division players, working on a tight budget.
Im sure people think we are like Man Utd.Some people think our players are like Ronaldo and we have the right to win week in week out on a team of free transfers remember!!Free transfers generally mean they areant that good, because they are free and have been released to play for a lower division club, because they havent made it at a higher level. Again if you have got players like Billy Paynter and Micheal Pook (no disrespect to them) with Mourinho as manager he wouldnt improve those players skills and make them into a Henry or Ronaldo, no matter how good a manager or bad a manager he is. Our whole team is only worth about 500k max. Leeds United have a team that are probably worth 3-4 million and they were crap!! I would complain more being a Leeds fan , watching them play like that than Swindon who outplayed them and had more of the game than them apart from scoring. The stats prove it: Swindon 52% possession, Leeds 48%, Swindon 1 shot on target, Leeds 1 shot on target, Swindon 10 shots off target, Leeds 3 shots!
So please can we try and be positive and just accept that making improvements takes time. I admit Malpas is not the best manager Swindon have had, but then again hes not the worst!!If the fans want to see improvement compare us against Huddersfield tomorrow night. A side on a more even level to us.
Some Swindon fans bore me to death with there moaning week in week out!! If Swindon had Mourinho as manager these fans would still moan! I can honestly say that some fans were still moaning before about the previous 1-10 managers.Again i support the team for what they are, a 1st division club with average 1st division players, working on a tight budget.
Im sure people think we are like Man Utd.Some people think our players are like Ronaldo and we have the right to win week in week out on a team of free transfers remember!!Free transfers generally mean they areant that good, because they are free and have been released to play for a lower division club, because they havent made it at a higher level. Again if you have got players like Billy Paynter and Micheal Pook (no disrespect to them) with Mourinho as manager he wouldnt improve those players skills and make them into a Henry or Ronaldo, no matter how good a manager or bad a manager he is. Our whole team is only worth about 500k max. Leeds United have a team that are probably worth 3-4 million and they were crap!! I would complain more being a Leeds fan , watching them play like that than Swindon who outplayed them and had more of the game than them apart from scoring. The stats prove it: Swindon 52% possession, Leeds 48%, Swindon 1 shot on target, Leeds 1 shot on target, Swindon 10 shots off target, Leeds 3 shots!
So please can we try and be positive and just accept that making improvements takes time. I admit Malpas is not the best manager Swindon have had, but then again hes not the worst!!If the fans want to see improvement compare us against Huddersfield tomorrow night. A side on a more even level to us.
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