SWINDON Town ended their wait for a home win under David Flitcroft as they delivered a dominant performance to dispatch Stevenage at the County Ground.

The home side emphatically cast aside their recent woes on their own turf as striker Luke Norris helped himself to a brace to make it six goals in nine games and Keshi Anderson notched for the first time since joining the club on loan on transfer deadline day.

Stevenage responded through Danny Newton and Joe Martin’s late free kick yet, in truth, it was a travesty that they were within one goal at the final whistle, such had been Town’s control for the vast majority of the contest.

Flitcroft made two changes to the side that lost 1-0 at Notts County in midweek, James Dunne recovering from illness to replace Matt Taylor in the heart of midfield, while Derby loanee Kellan Gordon came in for Kaiyne Woolery out wide.

Stevenage had a corner within seconds as Tom Pett took advantage of a loose ball to advance and take aim with a cross-shot that was deflected behind, but Town too also showed early intent as Gordon was found by Luke Norris in acres of space and the big striker appeared to be impeded as he went to meet the return cross.

Gordon appeared to be the key outlet for the home side as Norris again found the Derby man in space on seven minutes and he sent over a low cross that was begging to be put in at the back post, with Anderson just appearing to check his movement at the wrong time.

Two minutes later the ball was in the back off the visitors’ net as Chris Hussey sent over a wickedly swerving corner from the right and despite appearing to be almost on the floor, Norris did enough to force the ball beyond keeper Joe Fryer at the back post.

It was the first time Town had taken the lead at home in the league this season and with the visiting side struggling to contain the pace of Gordon and Anderson, the second goal arrived four minutes later.

Ronnie Henry’s poor header allowed Anderson a free run at the Stevenage back line and the frontman intelligently played Norris in to the left edge of the area before charging towards the six yard box to gleefully touch home his strike partner’s low return delivery.

The away side’s woes continued as Norris found himself in another world of space on the right side of the box and his thumping effort was strongly palmed away by Fryer on 18 minutes.

Stevenage had showed little in the way of attacking threat to this point and that continued as Jos Martin’s decent delivery from the left was nodded miles over by Danny Newton.

Norris was continuing to make a nuisance of himself and won a free kick 25 yards out just after the half-hour mark that Hussey curled beyond Fryer’s far post.

Anderson too continued to be a handful, latching on to Lancashire’s exquisite cross-field pass and skinning Martin but his low centre found a blue shirt instead of red.

Norris then found himself with a bouncing ball 35 yards from goal and sent a fizzing drive not a million miles away from the far upright.

Still the home pressure continued as Hussey put his head down and meandered to the byline before sending over a fine cross that was just too high for Norris at the back stick.

Five minutes before the break it was Pett’s turn to go on a swerving run from the halfway line but after cutting back inside, he sent a floating shot a couple of yards over the bar of Lawrence Vigouroux.

Dion Conroy became a victim of that passage of play as he appeared to tweak a leg muscle and exited the field, to be replaced by Chris Robertson.

But with Gordon and Anderson continuing to buzz usefully around the Stevenage area, Norris again let fly from range, forcing Fryer to gather at the second attempt.

The Town striker then saw yellow for a foul too many, but other than referee John Brooks’ apparent fondness for the whistle in the visitors’ favour and the fact their side could have been more or less out of sight, the home fans could have little to complain about at the interval.

The game was almost put to bed within two minutes of the restart as a charging James Dunne won the ball in midfield and poked it into the path of Anderson, whose thudding left-footer came back off Fryer’s right-hand post.

But Stevenage too had an early second-half sighter as Martin’s cross was met by a Pett volley which flew a couple of yards over.

And the visitors had a lifeline on 50 minutes as Town substitute Robertson lost a battle out wide and as the ball came across, Godden’s attempted effort was deflected into the path of Newton and into the net messily.

Town responded as Timi Elsnik controlled the ball 35 yards out but blasted over but the home nerves were starting to jangle as Stevenage got in down the right again and Godden flashed a header inches wide of Vigouroux’s far post.

Home tempers were starting to fray even further as Godden won a free kick 25 yards from goal as Dunne apparently clipped his striking foot Yet the jeers turned to cheers on the hour mark as Gordon advanced on to the breaking Mullin’s pass and his pacy cross hit Martin, referee Brooks agreeing with the verdict of the home support that it had been with the use of an arm.

Norris stepped up and sent Fryer the wrong way from the spot.

That seemed to restore Town’s mojo and 10 minutes later Lancashire rose to meet Hussey’s corner, which was parried by Fryer and eventually clear.

Mullin tried to curl one around Fryer as the match entered the final 15 minutes, but the keeper was equal to the task before plucking another Hussey cross out of the air.

Anderson, who had a quieter second period, then took aim again but straight at Fryer before substitute Amine Linganzi, who had replaced Elsnik, found himself in an advanced position but could not sort out his feet near the edge of the box.

That appeared to be that, Town introducing Kaiyne Woolery for Gordon, yet Stevenage refused to go quietly as Godden slipped the ball neatly passed Lancashire but was checked 25 yards out, allowing Martin to curl the resulting free kick beyond the helpless Vigouroux.

It made the five minutes of added time potentially a more nervous period than they had a right to be, but despite a late unnecessary free kick conceded by Robertson, which invited more pressure, Town saw it through.