SWINDON Town failed to score for the fourth time in five matches during a 0-0 draw at home to AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.

Missing several key players due to injury, Town managed just a single shot on target in 90 minutes and were left to settle for a point that pushed them up to eighth.

There were very few clear-cut opportunities for either side, but Sol Brynn and Nick Tzanev were required to make one excellent reaction save apiece throughout.

Swindon made four changes to the side which lost 2-0 away at Crawley Town last weekend, mainly due to a spate of injuries in the camp.

Tom Clayton, Ben Gladwin, Saidou Khan, and Luke Jephcott all missed out due to various ailments, and they were replaced by the returning Jonny Williams, as well as Ronan Darcy, Marcel Lavinier, and Tyrese Shade.

Former Town loanee Josh Davison started up front, while Bristol City loanee Ryley Towler began the game in defence. Williams’ World Cup teammate, Chris Gunter was on the bench.

After a change of ends for the two teams, many of the Town fans stood up to applaud and remember the life of Carla Heaton, the former Swindon Town Women’s goalkeeper who died last month. The moment was later repeated following the death of Harry Parker in a hit-and-run incident.

The first 10 minutes passed with very few notable events, and the best early chance of the afternoon fell to Davison in the 12th minute. He shifted the ball from his right onto his left around 12 yards out and struck firmly towards goal, but Brynn’s positioning was spot on and he beat the ball away.

The Dons went close three minutes later too after Brynn slipped when clearing. He found Ethan Chislett midway inside his own half, but the midfielder’s volleyed effort was easily claimed by the Swindon stopper.

Ayoub Assal tested Brynn from a tight angle as the visitors continued to create chances. But Swindon recovered as the half wore on, and although Nick Tzanev remained untested, the hosts did at least create a few chances. Both Williams and Shade crashed off target from the edge of the box.

Wimbledon should have taken the lead in the 33rd minute when Chislett was fed inside the box. But with Brynn advancing, Chislett tried to square the ball for a teammate and was only met with red shirts.

Shortly before the break, Swindon put together a wonderful counter-attack – with Darcy at the heart of the move – but Williams drove narrowly off target once he reached the edge of the box.

The second half began in a similar fashion to the first, with Wimbledon on top. Paris Maghoma headed over when unmarked from an early second-half corner.

A couple of minutes later, a curling shot from Assal was fumbled by Brynn into the path of Chislett. Luckily for the hosts, Blake-Tracy was alert to the danger and managed to clear from deep inside his own box.

Swindon’s first shot on target arrived in the 66th minute, and it forced Tzanev to pull off an excellent reaction save. Williams played a diagonal pass out to Darcy on the right side of the box, and he chested down for Shade to hit it first time. There was plenty of power in the effort, but it lacked direction as Tzanev pushed the ball away.

Rushian Hepburn-Murphy’s introduction with 15 minutes to play was met with widespread approval by the Town fans who had wrapped themselves up to watch their team, and he almost immediately gave them something to cheer after reaching a right-wing cross, only to head over under pressure in the box.

While the number of chances dramatically dried up in the latter stages, Swindon appeared to miss out on a clear penalty inside five minutes of added time. Substitute Morgan Roberts went down in the area under a clumsy challenge, but referee Sam Allison pointed for a free-kick in the opposite direction, and the points were shared.

STFC starting XI: Brynn, Hutton, Iandolo, Reed, Williams ©, Darcy, Blake-Tracy, Lavinier, Wakeling, Shade, Brennan.

STFC substitutes: Copland, Adeloye, Aguiar, Hepburn-Murphy, MacDonald, Roberts, Dworzak.

AFCW starting XI: Tzanev, Woodyard, Pell, Davison, Assal, Chislett, Towler, Maghoma, Biler, Currie, Kalambayi.

AFCW substitutes: Broome, Gunter, Marsh, Young-Coombes, Pearce, Hudlin, Senior.

Referee: Sam Allison

Attendance: 8,430 (529)