Dawson Devoy was the star of the show off the bench as he created one and scored two more to see Swindon Town come from behind to win 3-2 against AFC Wimbledon.

In a first half that was short on action, Joe Lewis headed home in the second minute to give Wimbledon a lead that they protected without too much trouble.

The half time introduction of Devoy proved to be pivotal as first he played a big part in Aaron Drinan’s leveller before scoring twice himself before Lewis headed in his second.

Swindon have now won back-to-back games for just the third time this season and for the first time since November and beat Wimbledon at home for the first time since 2012.

Gavin Gunning kept with the same starting 11 for the second time in his interim spell in charge, with the same team that won at Barrow AFC starting again. Sean McGurk dropped off the bench as Dawson Devoy returned from injury for a spot in the 18.

But Swindon did not get the follow-up they would have hoped for after that big win in Cumbria last weekend. Inside the first minute, the troubles with the pitch reared their ugly head again as the ball bobbled over Frazer Blake-Tracy’s leg and led to a corner for the visitors. Lee Brown whipped the ball into the middle and untouched Lewis was able to run into the middle of the area and head home.

Swindon looked very nervy and could have handed Wimbledon a second goal after six minutes when Jack Bycroft waited for Josh Kelly to close him down before playing a long ball. The striker blocked the clearance, but the goalkeeper got a kind bounce and could get the ball to safety.

It took 13 minutes for Alex Bass to be called into action as Jake Cain robbed Ryan Johnson of possession, before knocking the ball around him and showing him a clean pair of heels. He was through on the goalkeeper, but he remained big and pushed the ball behind for a corner.

From that corner, Cain’s curling ball found the head of Conor McCarthy and he flicked it narrowly wide of the far post.

Williams Kokolo made a run down the left that saw him end in the corner of the penalty area. He found Ofoborh inside the box and he chopped onto his left foot and saw his effort deflected over the bar.

With two minutes remaining in the half, the ball got away from McCarthy on the edge of the area and allowed Kelly through on goal. He got to the ball ahead of Bycroft, but his touch was heavy and he only just managed to keep it from going behind and by that time Swindon had recovered.

The opening 45 was one in which Swindon very rarely found the tempo they required to make anything happen. A ginger start as the pitch got in their heads was followed by a cautious approach that allowed The Dons to sit in and absorb everything very happily.

Five minutes into the second period, Udoka Godwin-Malife held off two would-be tacklers to drive through his own half and set Devoy away. The halftime substitute’s cross was spilled by Bass to Drinan and he made no mistake in leveling the scores.

The goal seemed to knock Wimbledon’s confidence as it had Swindon’s in the first. Their defending was more panicked and nearly led to a goal as a throw-in went to Nnamdi Ofoborh just inside the box and he was allowed to spin and hit a half volley just wide of the target.

But after the hour they seemed to have regained their composure and were able to exert their physicality on Swindon once more and break up any flow that Swindon had discovered.

Against the run of play, Town had turned it around as Kokolo got in down the left and delivered a ball into the near post where Devoy was arriving and dispatched into the roof of the net.

With their chances of making the post-season hanging in the balance, Wimbledon came searching for the goal they needed. Kofi Balmer was hurling long throws into the penalty area at every opportunity and the long balls were coming thick and fast at Town.

It was some afternoon for Devoy as a cross took a touch off a defender and came into his path, he set himself and finished beyond Bass with his shot taking another deflection to loop into the net.

With two minutes left, Lewis headed in his second of the match to set up a grandstand finish as The Dons searched for a vital goal.

They were aided in that search as Godwin-Malife got Swindon’s first red card of the season as he was handed a second yellow in stoppage time for taking too long over a throw-in.

STFC starting XI: Bycroft, Blake-Tracy, McEachran, Elbouzedi, Glatzel, Cain, Kokolo, Godwin-Malife, Drinan, McCarthy, Ofoborh.

STFC substitutes: Brann, McKirdy, Brewitt, Devoy, Aguiar, Austin, McGregor.

AFCW starting XI: Bass, Brown, Reeves, Balmer, Johnson, Kelly, Neufville, Little, Bugiel, Lewis, Gordon.

AFCW substitutes: Tzanev, Tilley, Davison, Ball, McLean, O’Toole, Ogundere.

Attendance: 8,511 (1,013 away).