Mycampusplug
“ONE SAVED THEM… ONE LOST THE PLOT!” — Swindon Town Player Ratings Expose All
play Rating
Swindon Town were able to keep their automatic promotion chances alive by securing a late 1-1 draw at Cambridge United.
The home side dominated large spells of the match, taking a deserved lead through Ben Knight, but could not capitalise further on it, allowing Joel McGregor to run through and score in the final minute.
So, how did the players fare as individuals at The Abbey Stadium?
GK: Connor Ripley – 8
This team owes Ripley so much for his performance in this game. He was the saviour. His ability to make the saves owed a little bit to Cambridge’s poor finishing, but he was in the way every time. McGregor’s goal was massive, but his save after Knight ran past three players early in the second half could be just as important.
RB: Will Wright – 3
It was a little bit tough for Wright, as Knight turned in probably the best opposition player performance I have seen all season, but he was seeing ghosts. Without much protection ahead of him, Cambridge were consistently able to get beyond him and get balls across.
CB: Jamie Knight-Lebel – 6
The number of times Cambridge got down the side meant that Swindon needed to defend their box extremely well to stay in even remote contention. Alongside Ryan Tafazolli, he did a good job at just getting in the way of things and remaining calm.
CB: Ryan Tafazolli – 8
Much like Ripley, Swindon have been blown away without Tafazolli. No player in League Two has a better aerial dual win rate than him, and that must have gone up again, because he got on the end of everything. There was one particular one in the first half where he came crashing through Louis Appere and just smashed a header miles away.
LB: Jake Batty – 4
Batty coped a little bit better than Wright, but James Brophy was able to put in a performance that was unrecognisable to anyone who remembers him from Swindon. His corners left a lot to be desired, but when Swindon did attack, he got forward quite well.
CM: Tom Nichols – 2
Another player who looked like their head was spinning. Swindon were thoroughly outmatched in midfield all night, and Nichols spent most of the game having his pocket picked more often than if he were on Las Ramblas.
CM: Gavin Kilkenny – 3
The night was no easier for Kilkenny, who seemed to spend the whole match frantically chasing around multiple amber and black shirts without ever getting close to them.
RW: Darren Oldaker – 5
Oldaker looked the calmest of all the Swindon players with the ball at his feet. He showed that in the first half, and kept that composure long enough to turn out in midfield and find Billy Bodin for the eventual equaliser.
CAM: Ollie Palmer – 4
The energy that Cambridge had in midfield made for an uncomfortable evening for Palmer, who is not at his best when he is having to cover ground. Few of his headers found their mark, and I cannot recall him getting within sight of the goal.
LW: Fletcher Holman – 4
Holman is always full of energy, but this game showcased his defensive naivety, as he struggled to track James Gibbons, which certainly didn’t help Wright. He made one good run down the side, but could not make the most of it.
ST: Aaron Drinan – 6
You could see in Drinan’s eyes that he was angry about what was going on behind him, and he did channel that when the ball came his way. He totally burned Liam Bennett down the left, and was Town’s most dangerous player by miles.
Substitutes:
Joel McGregor – 7
I have no clue where the suggestion of an own goal came from, because that was a wonderfully precise finish from McGregor right when it mattered. It was after he came on that Swindon finally started to cede less space to Cambridge and concede fewer chances.
Billy Bodin – 7
The finish from McGregor was good, but the pass from Bodin was better, threading his pass right between two defenders with the perfect weight for McGregor to hit.
Aidan Borland – 5
Borland did not have quite the same impact as the other players he came on with, but he did have his usual hustle and bustle, which was useful.
Michael Olakigbe – 4
With the way that he plays, Olakigbe is always going to be a bit hit and miss, and this was more the latter. He took up good positions but could not get his feet moving as he wanted.
James Scanlon – 5
There was a bit more battle in Scanlon, which I have wanted to see from him, although he did not make much of an impact.
