TOWN gained revenge for their opening day hammering with a 3-1 win over Gillingham this afternoon at the County Ground.

When the sides met back in August, the Gills ran out comfortable 5-0 winners, but there was only going to be one team victorious in this encounter.

Charlie Austin's first half strike set Swindon on their way before a Scott Cuthbert header and a penalty from Billy Paynter after the break put the result beyond any doubt.

Gillingham barely threatened and had keeper Alan Julian to thank for keeping the score down, as he made a series of brilliant saves to deny Vincent Pericard and Simon Ferry among others.

Here are the key moments from today's game:

Five mins: John Nutter skips away from the challenge of Scott Cuthbert and centres to Simeon Jackson. The Gillingham strike shoots, but drags his effort across goal and well wide.

13 mins: Alan Sheehan pumps a long diagonal ball into the box where Billy Paynter meets it but, under pressure, he heads wide.

18 mins: A powerful defensive header from Gordon Greer splits the Gillingham defence and Charlie Austin races on to it.

He battles with Josh Gowling to reach it and duly tucks the ball past Alan Julian and into the back of the net, but referee Steve Tanner has already blown for a foul against Town's striker.

27 mins: The ball is bobbling around in the middle of the park when it drops to Austin, 30 yards out. The front man takes it first time but his ambitious effort is easy for Julian.

30 mins: A great chance for the visitors. Nutter's free-kick from the left is poked golwards by Jackson. With Town keeper David Lucas struggling to get across his area, the ball bounces against the upright and is scrambled away to safety.

38 mins (GOAL 1-0 Austin): The game sparks into life with a superb goal. Simon Ferry plays the ball into Austin who is jut inside the area, with his back to goal and tightly marked.

The front man controls, spins and shoots in one movement and the ball flies low into the far corner with Julian powerles to stop it. 43 mins: Danny Ward and Sheehan exchange passes before the latter cuts inside and curls a right footed effort just past the far post. Even the slightest touch from anyone in the area and it would have been a second Swindon goal.

49 mins: Chris Palmer strides forward from his left-back position, cuts inside and drills a right-footed shot just wide of the near post.

52 mins (GOAL 2-0 Cuthbert): Jon-Paul McGovern's deep corner from the left finds Scott Cuthbert unmarked at the far post. The centre-back heads back across goal, and although Julian gets a hand on it he is unable to keep it out and it sneaks in the top corner.

62 mins: Rashid Yussuff beats a couple of challenges and gets into the Swindon box. However, with a challenge coming in on him, he blazes his shot well over the bar.

67 mins: Danny Ward receives the ball from Jonathan Douglas just inside the Gillingham half. He races forward and fizzes a low drive goalwards which flies just the wrong side of the upright.

69 mins: A brilliant cross from Ward is stabbed goalwards by Ferry, only to see Julian equal to his effort. The rebound falls to Paynter, but just as he is about to shoot Mark Bentley nips in to put the ball out for a corner.

72 mins: Substitute Vincent Pericard receives the ball 25 yards out, steadies himself and unleashes a fierce drive which Julain does well to save.

74 mins (GOAL 3-0 Paynter): Pericard powers into the box, Bentley cannot cope with the front man and bundles him over.

Referee Steve Tanner has no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Paynter steps up to send Julian the wrong way and slot the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.

78 mins: Swindon keep pressing to try and increase their advantage. McGovern's delivery is cleared to the edge of the area where Douglas fires in a half-volley which is blocked by a combination of Gowling and Julian, before Ferry fires the rebound over.

79 mins: Kevin Amankwaah's low ball in is deflected out to Pericard. The debutant must score but is denied by a fantastic save from Julian. Ferry picks up on the loose ball but is thwarted again by the keeper.

88 mins (GOAL 3-1 Palmer): A Gillingham corner is worked to Chris Palmer inside the area and, from 15 yards, he lashes a drive into the top corner.

TOWN (4-4-2): David Lucas; Kevin Amankwaah, Scott Cuthbert, Gordon Greer (c), Alan Sheehan (Lecsinel Jean-Francois 60); Jon-Paul McGovern, Simon Ferry, Jonathan Douglas, Danny Ward; Billy Paynter (Ben Hutchinson 81), Charlie Austin (Vincent Pericard 68)

Subs not used: Phil Smith, Sean Morrison, Michael Timlin, Lloyd Macklin

GILLINGHAM (4-5-1): Alan Julian; Barry Fuller, Josh Gowling, Mark Bentley (Tom Wynter 76), Chris Palmer; Dennis Oli, Kevin Maher (Febian Brandy 56), Suart Lewis (Curtis Weston 60), Rashid Yussuff, John Nutter; Simeon Jackson

Subs not used: Simon Locke, Luke Rooney, Jack Payne, Mark McCammon