SWINDON Town’s second-half dominance was only rewarded with a point this afternoon as Phil Brown’s first home game as manager ended in a frustrating draw against Morecambe in League Two.

Town found themselves a goal down at the break at the Energy Check County Ground as the Shrimps pounced on their ineffective offside trap when Callum Lang raced in unchallenged to beat Stuart Moore two minutes before half-time.

Luke Norris restored parity 10 minutes after the restart from the penalty spot after he had been deemed to have been fouled by Alex Kenyon.

The home side upped the tempo in search of a winner but those efforts went unrewarded, with Marc Richards guilty of missing the best chance to snatch the victory when he failed to convert from close range when unmarked at the back post.

The result is an opportunity missed for Town in their quest for a play-off finish as they remain three points adrift off the top seven down in ninth in the table.

Brown opted to make four changes to the Town team that started last weekend's 3-1 defeat at Exeter City – including dropping their goalscorer that day, Kaiyne Woolery, to the bench as Norris was fit enough to start up front.

Kyle Knoyle came into the side at right-back, so Ben Purkiss shifted into the centre of defence to replace Chris Robertson.

Ollie Banks was handed a starting berth upon his return from a three-match suspension and took Timi Elsnik’s spot in centre midfield, with Keshi Anderson replacing Paul Mullin on the right-hand side.

Donal McDermott also returned to the matchday squad for the first time since December 15 and was named on the bench after a long-term injury.

Town were the first to threaten as Norris shot wide from 20 yards in the opening skirmishes before the visitors were forced into a reshuffle after just 10 minutes when goalkeeper Barry Roche succumbed to injury, with Daniel Nizic coming on in his place.

Morecambe promptly had their first chance as Michael Rose whipped in a wicked free-kick from the right that evaded everyone in the box before sneaking just past the far post of Moore's goal.

A big opportunity came Town’s way after a quarter-of-an-hour when Matt Taylor picked out the unmarked Richards with a cracking deep cross from the left, but he could not get a clean connection and the visitors were able to usher the ball over their own bar.

It took 26 minutes for Moore to be called into action in the Town goal as he comfortably claimed Lang’s header from a Luke Conlan free-kick.

Set-pieces seemed the order of the day and Taylor found Norris with another free-kick but he could not adjust his feet in time to shoot before danger came at the other end when Moore punched a Shrimps dead ball down into his own crowded box but Purkiss got in a crucial block from the follow-up shot.

Town began to up the ante and Anderson, Rollin Menayese and James Dunne all sent in decent efforts but to no avail.

Just as they seemed to be getting on top, the home side were hit by a sucker-punch two minutes before the break when Morecambe took the lead, capitalising on some slack Swindon defending.

Vadaine Oliver caught out the hosts’ high line with a perfectly-weighted ball and Lang timed his run well to race in one-on-one with Moore, and the Town keeper stood no chance against his cool finish.

Town rallied and had two chances to draw level before the interval as a Taylor snap-shot cannoned off Alex Kenyon into the side-netting before Purkiss climbed highest to meet the subsequent corner, only for Nizic to pull off a fine save to push it onto the post and keep the visitors’ lead intact at half-time.

Swindon were quick out of the blocks after the break and after a spell of pressure on the Shrimps goal, got themselves level from the penalty spot 10 minutes into the second half.

Nizic pulled off a cracking save from a Norris head following a Taylor free-kick but referee Kevin Johnson deemed his shirt had been pulled by Kenyon and pointed to the spot, with Norris lashing home from 12 yards.

Swindon then had a gilt-edged chance to take an immediate lead just after the hour mark when Taylor drilled the ball across the face of the Morecambe goal but Richards could not react in time at the far post.

Town continued to ramp up the pressure and although clear-cut chances were at a premium, the Shrimps did survive a major scare when Conlan sliced a clearance over his own crossbar.

Brown went for the jugular in the closing stages, sending the attacking talents of Woolery, Mullin and McDermott into the fray, but despite constant pressure around the Shrimps box, no winning goal was forthcoming and Town had to settle for a point.

SWINDON TOWN: Moore; Knoyle, Purkiss, Menayese, Hussey (Mullin 81); Anderson (McDermott 85), Dunne, Banks, Taylor; Norris, Richards (capt) (Woolery 81). Subs not used: Henry, Robertson, Elsnik, Gordon.

MORECAMBE: Roche (Nizic 11); Winnard, Lavelle, Old; McGowan (Wilding 71), Kenyon, Rose, Conlan; Wylde; Oliver, Lang (Ellison 79). Subs not used: Brough, Thompson, Fleming, Campbell, Ellison.

Referee: Kevin Johnson

Attendance: 6,328 (82 away)