THREE goals in eight horrendous second-half minutes saw Swindon Town fall to an abject defeat at high-flying Sheffield United this afternoon.

The Blades’ attacking quality was evident throughout at Bramall Lane and although Town were able to hang on until half-time, they simply fell apart after the restart.

After one glorious chance had already been spurned by Billy Sharp, a Lawrence Vigouroux error gifted Mark Duffy the opener seven minutes into the second period when the Town keeper could not hold his strike from the edge of the box.

That was the start of a humiliating period for Town as the Blades capitalised on some woeful defending. Paul Coutts doubled the lead from a low strike with the hosts’ next attack just two minutes later before Duffy bagged his second from close range on the hour.

United were not done there and although Swindon were able to resist more embarrassment for a brief spell, substitute Caolan Lavery bagged the hosts’ fourth goal with 13 minutes to play when he was gifted time and space in the box to finish.

Town actually looked pretty lively early on and went on the offensive straight from the kick-off, having a sight of goal in the opening 60 seconds. Luke Norris laid the ball off to full-back Brando Ormonde-Ottewill to charge up the left and he pulled a cross back to Jonathan Obika in the box but the striker saw his effort blocked.

The visitors then had their best chance of the game just a minute later after full-back Darnell Furlong had been felled by Daniel Lafferty on the right-hand side of the Blades penalty area. Anton Rodgers sent a drilled free-kick in and the ball eventually found Furlong, who saw a powerful close-range effort clawed away by United keeper Simon Moore for a corner.

Although Town looked promising in attack, they were exposed too easily in defence and were twice carved open in quick succession following corners of their own at the opposite end of the pitch.

Both times the Blades countered the length of the field, with firstly Vigouroux pulling off a fine stop after Duffy was sent in one-on-one with the Town keeper, before home striker Sharp saw an effort deflected behind from the second such attack.

Lafferty was a proving a real menace on the left for the Blades and Swindon were grateful to see Vigouroux smother one devilish low cross into the box soon afterwards.

There was more panic for the Town defence midway through the first half when centre-back Chris Basham smashed a close-range strike after a corner caused chaos in the box but Furlong got his body in the way to block it safely behind.

The Blades looked on course to break the deadlock just after the half-hour mark but Town hung on thanks to an excellent double clearance. Duffy found Sharp with a sublime crossfield ball from the left and although the striker was able to loop his header over the outrushing Vigouroux, Raphael Branco hooked the ball off the line before the Town stopper got back in position to deny Duffy with his legs from the follow-up.

After a frenetic opening, the game gradually began to settle and although the Blades remained on top of proceedings, Town held firm to get to the break with the scores still goalless.

United flew out of the traps after the restart and missed a gilt-edged chance to open the scoring in the opening minute of the second period. Lafferty drilled a low ball across the Town box where three Blades players waited to finish but Sharp somehow shot across goal and wide from six yards.

The home side did not have to wait long to finally get their noses in front and once they did, the floodgates swiftly opened.

First, Duffy tried his luck from 20 yards following a probing Blades attack on 52 minutes and Vigouroux could not hold the shot and it dribbled over line. The Town keeper also picked up a booking for his angry reaction to the error.

Town looked shell-shocked at falling behind but their troubles soon worsened and the score was 2-0 just two minutes later. United were soon back on the attack and Coutts drilled a low effort through a crowded box into the bottom corner.

Swindon had begun to fall apart in embarrassing fashion and Duffy made it 3-0 with his second goal on the hour. Sharp whipped the ball in from the left and Duffy was allowed to sneak in behind the Town defence too easily to bundle home at the back post from close range.

Still the hosts were not done scything down their lifeless opponents and substitute Lavery heaped further embarrassment on Town when he completed the rout with 13 minutes to play. Ethan Ebanks-Landell swung the ball in from the right and Lavery was gifted acres of space in the box to flick a boot at the cross and divert it into the bottom corner to complete a nightmare trip for Town to South Yorkshire.

SHEFFIELD UNITED: Moore; Ebanks-Landell, O'Connell, Basham; Freeman, Coutts, Duffy (Scougall 85), Fleck, Lafferty; Sharp (capt) (Clarke 78), Done (Lavery 69). Subs not used: Ramsdale, Hussey, Wright, Brown.

SWINDON TOWN: Vigouroux; Furlong, Branco, Jones, Ormonde-Ottewill; Rodgers, Thomas; Goddard (Smith 68), Doughty (Hylton 46) Norris; Obika (capt) (Delfouneso 62). Subs not used: Henry, Evans, Sharpe, Murray.

Referee: Gavin Ward

Attendance: 19,196 (420)