JONATHAN Smith believes Town’s reaction to going a goal behind against Chesterfield was not good enough to merit them getting a result.

Swindon went 1-0 down to the Spireites when the luckless Oliver Risser put into his own net seconds into the second half.

The goal upset the form book somewhat as Town had been very much in the ascendancy in the first half, but Smith said their reaction to the goal cost them the match.

When asked if his side might have deserved better, the ex-York man said: “Not really, I think once they scored we didn’t respond to it well enough.

“They got a lift from it and we seemed to go the other way.

“That’s where you have got to be even more brave, get on the ball and play, but we didn’t do that and were a bit sloppy in possession and let ourselves down a bit.”

Despite admitting the second-half performance had not been good enough, Smith believes that what occurred before the break was also key.

Alan Connell went closest of any Town player when he skewed a scissors kick wide after Paul Benson had provided him with a controlled knockdown.

Lee Holmes was another lively prospect in the first half and he fired a strike a yard over the bar, while Matt Ritchie and Joe Devera also had efforts at goal.

And Smith conceded that Swindon’s profligacy did play a huge part in their failure to clinch silverware at Wembley.

When questioned if a first-half goal could have made the difference between a win and a loss for his team, the midfielder said: “Looking back, maybe.

“We had some good chances first half, so we’re all disappointed.

“If we had scored in the first half when we were on top then that would have given us a lift.

“But when the opposition score you have got to respond to it and we didn’t do that well enough.”

Chesterfield made their breakthrough moments after the restart and it was Risser who was the unfortunate player to direct into his own net.

But Smith said no blame was attached to the Namibian – the first man from that country to play at Wembley – and that it was part and parcel of the professional game.

“He was in the right position, it was just one of them,” said Smith.

“The ball’s come across quickly and you can’t blame him, these things happen in football.”

Despite defeat, Town remain top of League Two with a four-point cushion and now focus will shift to achieving the number one priority at the start of the season – promotion – and with it possibly the league title.

Smith echoed these sentiments, saying: “We’ve got to pick ourselves up for the league.

“We’re still confident and we’ve got to pick ourselves up, that’s all we can do.”