SWINDON Town snatched a late winner to get their season off to the perfect start with a 1-0 win over Coventry.

Iraqi international Yaser Kasim, who had been a doubt for the game due to international commitments, marked his 100th appearance with the club with an 87th minute winner.

Having ridden their luck in the first half, Town dominated the second period and got their reward when Kasim tried his luck from the edge of the box and wheeled away with delight as it nestled into the bottom corner.

Town, who announced the loan signing of Liverpool defender Lloyd Jones and permanent capture of Gillingham striker Luke Norris in the hour before the game, had to shuffle the pack a bit.

Former Coventry City midfielder Conor Thomas lined up against his former employers as part of a back three alongside Nathan Thompson and Jamie Sendles-White.

At a sun-kissed County Ground, it was the Sky Blues who started well and were only denied taking the lead in the fifth minute by the frame of Lawrence Vigouroux’s goal.

James Brophy, who made a shaky start to proceedings, gifted the ball to Marvin Sordell in the box and the forward, who was playing at the Olympics four years ago, saw his curling effort come back off the far post.

It was more poor football at the back from Town that lead to Coventry’s second opening two minutes later and a more clinical opposition would have punished Luke Williams’ side.

Kasim was caught in possession and when Jodi Jones scuffed his effort, the ball fell to George Thomas in acres of space at the back post but the winger miss-hit his first-time shot wide.

Coventry continued to have the better of the chances as the half wore on, with Sordell causing trouble again, this time finding the marauding run of Kelly-Evans from the back for the full-back only to be denied by Vigouroux’s save.

Town worked their first real opening in the 27th minute when Michael Doughty, signed on loan from Queens Park Rangers just the day before, capitalised on a loose pass before finding Anton Rodgers in the box, but the midfielder lifted his strike over the bar.

Town were starting to grow into the half and when Brophy performed a Cruyff turn to beat his defender in the box, he looked like he could break the deadlock, only for his effort to tamely find the hands of Reice Charles-Cook.

Obika then saw a speculative effort from the edge of the box go wide of the Coventry goal in the 37th minute before Thomas was handed another chance to put the visitors ahead.

A long ball over the top saw him and Jones played in two-on-one bearing down on goal but the winger was indecisive and his eventual shot was poor and comfortably pushed around the post by Vigouroux.

Swindon got up to pace the better in the second half but it was Vigouroux who was called into action again in the 54th minute when Jones got the wrong side of Sendles-White but was denied by the feet of the Swindon stopper.

Brophy was starting to find more luck down the left and drove into the box in the 59th minute.

John Goddard latched onto the resulting cross but saw his shot blocked before the ball bobbled to Rodgers who was also denied by some last-ditch defending by Coventry.

Moments later, Jonathan Obika, who was hunting his 20th league goal in a Town shirt, flicked a cross from Brophy just wide.

Thomas was given a golden opportunity to open his Town account against his former club when Brophy weaved past a challenge before cutting the ball back, but Thomas hit his effort over the bar.

Town continued to dominate and a lovely ball from substitute Jordan Young split the Coventry defence to find Doughty, but after cutting inside, the chance was wasted and his shot was blocked.

Young showed his youthful exuberance in the 85th minute when he was granted too much space on the edge of the box and decided to try his luck, only to leave the crossbar of Charles-Cook’s goal rattling.

With it looking like the clock would be against them, Kasim popped up on the edge of the box and his first-time effort made it through a host of players to beat Charles-Cook and claim all three points.

SWINDON TOWN: Vigouroux, Thomas, Thompson, Sendles-White, Barry, Kasim, Rodgers, Doughty, Brophy, Goddard (Young 64’), Obika

Unused subs: Henry, Iandolo, Smith, Stewart, Evans, Hylton

Attendance: 9,023 (1,956 away)

Referee: Darren Handley