SWINDON Town saw their three-game unbeaten run in League Two end via a 1-0 defeat at home to Stevenage on Tuesday night.

Steve Evans’ men controlled much of the early play at the County Ground and deservedly went ahead through Jordan Roberts midway through the first half.

But Town grew back into the game and could have equalised if one of four strong penalty shouts had been awarded by referee, Benjamin Speedie.

The hosts’ luck with the official was out, though, and Stevenage held on for three points that puts them within touching distance of League One.

Jody Morris made two changes to the side which started Saturday's 5-1 victory away at AFC Wimbledon.

Jonny Williams was ruled out with a groin injury while Jacob Wakeling dropped to the bench in a tactical switch. Rushian Hepburn-Murphy had suitably recovered from tonsillitis to start, and Tyrese Shade was also in from the beginning.

Stevenage named ex-Town man Jake Reeves in their XI along with Carl Piergianni - who was up for the League Two Player of the Season.

The visitors dominated the majority of the opening half, with a couple of early sighters from Jordan Roberts a sign of things to come for the home side.

While Stevenage continued to spend plenty of time in Town’s half, there were a couple of strong penalty claims for Swindon too. First, George McEachran appeared to tangle legs with a visiting defender after breaking into the box, but referee, Benjamin Speedie quickly waved the protests away.

The second also involved McEachran, but despite appearing to be hauled down, the official was not interested.

And after Hepburn-Murphy skewed off target from one of few good chances for Town, promotion-chasing Stevenage took the lead. Max Clark laid off to Alex Gilbey down the left, and he breezed into the box before reaching the by-line and sliding a pass back for Reid to slot under Sol Brynn from six yards.

After Tom Brewitt was forced off injured and replaced by Harrison Minturn, Stevenage really should have made it two. Saidou Khan lost the ball around 25 yards out, presenting Roberts with a one-on-one chance. But instead of placing into the bottom left corner, he snatched at it and drove over powerfully.

Swindon generated their best two chances of the first half late on. First, Marcel Lavinier crashed at goal from long range, but Timothee Lo-Tutala eventually gathered. Moments later, Hepburn-Murphy broke away down the left before setting up George McEachran to shoot first time from the edge of the box. The shot was straight at the Stevenage stopper, when either side would surely have resulted in a leveller.

After Hepburn-Murphy tested Lo-Tutala with a low shot in the early moments of the second half, Danny Rose missed a glorious chance for the visitors in the 51st minute. Roberts had posted the ball through Remeao Hutton’s legs and crossed to the far post, but the former Mansfield Town striker headed back out for a throw-in when only under mild pressure from Lavinier.

Midway through the second half, Town saw the clearest penalty claim of four on the night inexplicably waved away. Hutton looped an impossibly high cross into the box which Lo-Tutala completely lost in the air. The ball dropped in front of Hepburn-Murphy, who was about to poke into the net from six yards out, until he was hauled to the floor. To the shock and frustration of all concerned with Swindon, the referee remained unmoved.

Stevenage failed to make the most of a Minturn mistake with 20 minutes to play, Reid lashing over when one-on-one down the right side of the box.

A triple change for Swindon saw Ronan Darcy, Charlie Austin, and Wakeling introduced, but the more experienced of the two strikers could not direct a header on target from Hutton’s cross as Town searched for an equaliser.

While there was plenty of endeavour from the hosts – combined with a highly conservative approach by Evans’ men – Town were unable to test Lo-Tutala inside seven minutes of added time and left empty handed.

Post-match, Swindon’s assistant head coach Ed Brand was shown a red card for dissent towards the referee.

STFC starting XI: Brynn, Hutton, Brewitt, Clayton, Lavinier, McEachran, Cain, Khan, Hepburn-Murphy, Shade, Jephcott.

STFC substitutes: Brann, Darcy, Austin, Kadji, Wakeling, Minturn, Brown.

SFC starting XI: Lo-Tutala, Clark, Reeves, Piergianni, Sweeney, Roberts, Smith, Gilbey, Bostwick, Reid, Rose.

SFC substitutes: Pryzbek, Wildin, Taylor, Horgan, Tomkinson, Forster-Caskey, Evans.

Referee: Benjamin Speedie

Attendance: 8,289 (311)