Swindon Town beat Hartlepool United 3-0 at Victoria Park in League Two

The returning Harry McKirdy netted either side of the break to take his season-tally to 20 for the first time in his professional career while Mathieu Baudry headed in to wrap up the game late on.

The professional display moved Town up to 10th and means victory against Forest Green Rovers on Tuesday could see Ben Garner’s men move into the top seven with just two games to go.

Garner made four changes to the side which lost 2-1 at home to Leyton Orient on Easter Monday.

McKirdy came back in, as did Baudry and Jonny Williams. The surprise inclusion was Lewis Ward, making his first start since the 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers in January, as Jojo Wollacott did not travel due to injury.

Akin Odimayo and Jake O’Brien dropped to the bench while Joe Tomlinson saw his season end due to a knee injury against Orient.

A first 15 minutes without much on-field action passed by – the first shot on target arrived in the 18th minute from the head of Baudry.

Town put a clever free-kick move together in which Jack Payne passed to McKirdy – who had been stood offside – on the left, and the forward crossed to the back post where Baudry was stood, but the wind took it on a little further than the Frenchman wanted, and he could only nod into Ben Killip's hands.

Midway through the first half, Hartlepool went close on a couple of occasions. Omar Bogle and Olufela Olomola played a one-two around Dion Conroy before the striker slipped Olomola back in on the penalty spot. A favourable bounce allowed the winger to shoot, and it was destined for the net before Ellis Iandolo's diving block.

Moments later, Bogle almost found the corner from the left edge of the box with a driven strike, but Ward stuck out his fingertips to turn it wide.

As Town continued to play with more purpose than their hosts, Killip almost handed Town a goal when clearing an over-hit long ball straight to Louie Barry. The young winger saw his shot from the left flank drift wide though with a handful of blue and white shirts scampering back towards the unguarded net.

But five minutes before the break, Town did find the opening goal moments after almost conceding at the other end. Right winger Luke Molyneux fired a cross towards Olomola, but the cross was too heavy and Olomola had little chance of converting from close range.

Barely 30 seconds later, Mandela Egbo slid an inch-perfect cross into McKirdy's path from the right, and the striker added his 19th of the season with a left-footed first-time finish from eight yards.

It could have been two before the half-time whistle sounded, but Barry slammed a shot against the left post when under pressure in a one-on-one situation.

Molyneux and Payne exchanged wildly off-target shots as the second half began before the former went close with a volley in the 49th minute. The winger turned quickly from a throw-in down the right and slammed towards the near post on the volley, but Ward smothered it behind.

That save turned out to be important as a few minutes later the visitors extended their lead when McKirdy claimed his 20th goal of the season.

Payne received it on the right before nut-megging his marker, driving past a second defender and then laying on an inch-perfect cross for McKirdy to touch home at the near post.

It could have been three for Swindon two minutes later after McKirdy was played through one-on-one. He rounded the goalkeeper, but Hull chased back to deny him from a tight angle with a diving block.

McKirdy was denied a hat-trick a few minutes before being withdrawn, curling at goal following a short corner, only to see Killip awkwardly turn the effort away.

Bogle volleyed off target, but Hartlepool continued to offer very little attacking threat otherwise. Substitute Harry Parsons attempted to net his first professional goal, but he sliced off target with around 20 minutes left.

Swindon wrapped the game up in the 85th minute when Baudry scored the visitors’ third of the afternoon. A short-corner was crossed into the middle by Payne, and Parsons flicked it up into the air. It appeared as though Killip was favourite in his own six-yard box but Baudry out-jumped him and bundled it in on the line.

Town played out the final moments without any trouble at all, and hopes were raised once more of a late push into the top seven.

HUFC starting XI: Killip, Sterry, Odusina, Hull, Ferguson, Shelton, Crawford, Smith, Olomola, Bogle, Molyneux.

SUBS: Bilokapic, Ogle, White, Fletcher, Carver.

STFC starting XI: Ward, Iandolo, Conroy, Baudry, Davison, Payne, McKirdy, Egbo, Barry, Williams, Reed.

SUBS: Odimayo, Gladwin, East, O'Brien, Mitchell-Lawson, Aguiar, Parsons.

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