Glass proves to be a pain

THE last time goalkeeper Jimmy Glass pulled on a first team shirt he won national acclaim with a last-gasp winner to keep Carlisle in the Football League.

So when Rovers boss Brian Kidd picked up the team sheet before kick-off last night he should have known what was coming next - a great escape that Steve McQueen would have been proud of!

Glass was only called in as a last minute replacement for former Rover Frank Talia.

And, though his contribution was far less spectacular than his last outing in May, it still proved decisive as Rovers tasted defeat for the first time in seven matches.

For 88 of the 90 minutes, Brian Kidd's men had enough possession to have won three matches, never mind one.

But the fact they didn't was ultimately a result of two manic minutes at the back and a couple of timely stops by Glass.

Even the most optimistic Swindon fan anticipated a hiding going into this clash.

Jimmy Quinn's men had only won once in eight league outings and, with central defender Gareth Davies ruled out through injury, they had to field 17-year-old rookie James Williams at the heart of their defence.

But, for what they lacked in class, they certainly made up for in heart.

And you couldn't help but admire their workrate in the second half as they ran themselves into the ground in the face of constant pressure.

As for Rovers, they didn't do much wrong.

After Saturday's tonic victory over Walsall, they looked set to carry on in the same vein as Kidd went for an attacking formation with Nathan Blake and Ashley Ward up front and Kevin Gallacher behind them in the hole. But two lapses of concentration in the space of two minutes midway through the half cost them dearly and they never recovered after that.

Per Frandsen, who had been so impressive on his debut against Walsall, never really stamped his authority on the game.

And, after a lively opening, Gallacher failed to find the kind of space he exploited to such good effect on his return to the side at the weekend.

Having said all that, Rovers probably still had 70 per cent of the possession.

Kidd's men will play a lot worse than this and still win.

But for all their patience and prompting, they lacked a figure like Swindon's George Ndah, who had the ability to unsettle a defence.

The pacy ex-Crystal Palace forward was a threat all night.

And his direct approach kept Christian Dailly and Co constantly on their toes.

But the script would have been different had Rovers converted any one of a number of early chances.

The game was only 42 seconds old when Gallacher burst down the right and crossed for Ward who volleyed over the bar from 12 yards.

Then a couple of minutes later, Wilcox slipped a ball into Blake on the right hand corner of the box but his cross-shot was magnificently clawed away by Glass. Rovers survived a let-off at the other end when Mark Walters whipped over a cross from the right, Ndah challenged John Filan, and the ball broke to Bobby Howe who fired wide from eight yards.

Glass denied Gallacher with another excellent stop and an overhead kick from Ward flashed wide of the upright.

But, just as Rovers looked to be taking the game by the scruff of the neck they were hit by a sucker punch on 30 minutes.

Kidd had warned his men about the danger Bobby Howe posed at set pieces.

But they didn't heed it and when he floated over a left-wing corner, Filan missed it under pressure from Ndah, and the ball struck Grayson and flew into the net.

If that was a body-blow then worse was to come two minutes later.

Full back Andy Williams fed Ndah on the left and his deep cross was mis-hit by Walters but Howe nipped in ahead of Frandsen to smash the loose ball past Filan.

Ndah could have made it three straight after but his cross-shot skidded past the far post.

Then Ward should have hauled Rovers back into it a minute before the break but he put a free header well wide from a teasing Callum Davidson cross.

Swindon battened down the hatches in the second half in anticipation of a Rovers onslaught. Yet for all their pressure, it never materialised.

Damien Duff replaced Gallacher as Kidd switched to 4-4-2.

Then Ward made way for Egil Ostenstad as time started to run out.

Duff served up a chance for Blake but his header was hacked off the line before they finally got one back with four minutes left.

Filan's long punt was flicked on by Blake and Ostenstad held off both Adam Willis and Alan Reeves before sliding an angled shot past Glass into the far corner.

That sparked a frantic finale as Rovers forced a flurry of late corners.

In the dying seconds, Christian Dailly had a chance to snatch a late equaliser but his header was tipped over the bar.

And, not for the first time this year, it was Glass who had the last laugh.

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