SWINDON Town were unable to return to winning ways at the first attempt as they were held to a stalemate at Shrewsbury Town this afternoon.

John Goddard headed in his first goal in a red shirt to get Town off to a flyer at Greenhous Meadow but Luke Williams' men were unable to make their early dominance count as they were left to settle for a share of the spoils in Shropshire.

Head coach Williams made two personnel changes for his side’s visit to Shropshire, with Sean Murray taking defender Lloyd Jones’ spot – he came off injured at half-time during Swindon’s midweek loss to Northampton Town – although Conor Thomas would drop back from midfield to take the Liverpool loanee’s place in Town’s central defensive three.

That meant that Murray and Goddard started together in traditional midfield roles, anchored by Yaser Kasim, to hand Williams’ side an offensively-minded central combination.

After being restricted to a brief cameo from the bench against the Cobblers, Nathan Delfouneso was restored up top alongside Jonathan Obika, taking the place of Luke Norris.

James Brophy was also back as a substitute after missing his team’s last two outings with a chest infection.

After a session of early probing, Swindon got themselves in front with less than nine minutes on the clock.

After failing to find a team-mate with an earlier right-footed delivery, wing-back Darnell Furlong opted to use his weaker left foot to cross into the Shrews area and midfield man Goddard was on hand to get his head on the QPR loanee’s teasing delivery and deftly nod home his first Town goal.

Falling behind elicited a response from the hosts and Jim O’Brien passed up a promising opportunity to hit back just three minutes later as he got on the end of Ivan Toney’s whipped delivery but unlike Goddard, he couldn’t steer his header on-target from an ideal position.

Despite that scare, Williams’ men soon settled into a metronomic rhythm in possession, looking confident and comfortable as they made their out-of-form opposition chase the ball.

Skipper Nathan Thompson, who was once again given licence to stride forward into midfield, blasted a strike narrowly over the bar while Obika teed up Kasim on the edge of the area but the midfielder’s side-footed effort flew wide of Jayson Leutwiler’s goal.

The hosts continued to struggle to find a way back into the contest, despite causing chaos in the Swindon box with a clutch of set-pieces, and when they did manage to threaten, they found a red shirt in the way more often than not.

However, with a minute of the first period to go, Micky Mellon’s men hit Town with the classic sucker punch.

After defending a corner, the home side broke and were allowed an advantage by referee John Brooks as Goddard fouled Olly Lancashire.

The ball was worked to Louis Dodds and his chipped pass played in Toney, who held off the challenge of Thomas and shimmied past Lawrence Vigouroux before sliding home the equaliser.

Town’s efforts to get back into the ascendancy in the second half nearly suffered an early set-back when defender Lancashire connected with an O’Brien free-kick but his tame effort was easily gathered by Vigouroux.

Williams’ men struggled to re-establish their authority as the period wore on, with the lion’s share of the half-chances falling the way of the hosts while Swindon found themselves unable to produce the requisite quality in the final third to threaten a second goal.

One of their most threatening moments of the second half came with 73 minutes on the clock as Obika managed to divert the ball past an opponent before striking at goal from the edge of the Shrewsbury box, but his effort was easy for keeper Leutwiler to gather.

Soon afterwards, Goddard picked out substitute Norris but after cutting inside on his right foot, the striker’s effort from a fine position was high, wide and anything but handsome.

With five minutes to go, the Shrews threatened on the counter after defending a corner once again but inlike in the first period, they failed to find the net this time around.

Jack Grimmer found himself free on the right flank as the hosts broke three-on-two and he whipped a ball into the feet of substitute Ajay Leitch-Smith but his strike was blocked at close-range by Vigouroux.

With two minutes of normal time remaining, Shrews midfielder Gary Deegan was shown a second booking for a late sliding challenge on Norris, but there would be little time for Swindon to make their man advantage count.

There was to be no late winner and no three-point boon to remedy Swindon's previous defeat to Northampton in midweek. 

SWINDON TOWN: Lawrence Vigouroux, Raphael Branco, Nathan Thompson (C), Conor Thomas, Darnell Furlong, Yaser Kasim, Sean Murray, John Goddard, Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill (James Brophy 79), Jonathan Obika, Nathan Delfouneso (Luke Norris 67).

Subs not used: Will Henry, Anton Rodgers, Tom Smith, Ellis Iandolo, Jermaine Hylton.

Attendance: 5,103 (422 away supporters)