"The last time we won our first match, lost our second and drew our third, we went on to get to the play-off final."

Those were the words of Swindon Town skipper Nathan Thompson in his captain’s notes in the programme prior to his team hosting Port Vale at the County Ground.

The season he is referring to is not that long in the memory. Thompson skippered that side as they kicked off their 2014-15 season, which culminated with the infamous play-off final with Preston North End.

That year, Town started with a 3-1 win at home to Scunthorpe United, fell to a 1-0 defeat away to Crawley and then went on to record a 2-2 draw against Gillingham.

In their fourth game, they cruised to a 2-0 victory at home to Crewe, courtesy of goals from Yaser Kasim and Andy Williams.

It is far too premature to be getting carried away by omens or coincidences and to start planning for a trip to north-west London any time soon.

However, what Swindon did show on Saturday, as they secured their 1-0 win at home to Port Vale to follow in the footsteps of the class of 2014-15, was that they have the grit and determination needed to succeed in League One.

Town took the lead through Bradley Barry two minutes into the second half before seeing out the game, recording their second clean sheet of the campaign in the process – coincidentally, the same number as two years prior and one more than the same stage last term.

Swindon made four changes to the side that held Gillingham to a 1-1 draw on Tuesday night.

Despite a lack of pre-season, having been released by Blackburn Rovers at the end of the last campaign, new signing Nathan Delfouneso was thrust into the starting XI less than 48 hours after joining the club.

Having started without a recognised striker at the Priestfield, Williams was able to field two against Port Vale as he also welcomed back Luke Norris, who had recovered from an ankle injury sustained in their defeat to Chesterfield a week prior.

Lloyd Jones also returned from his injury, picked up in the cup exit to Queens Park Rangers, on the left of the back three, with Conor Thomas having every reason to feel hard done by as he dropped to the bench.

Yaser Kasim also returned at the base of the Town midfield after missing the game with Gillingham with a tight groin.

Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill was missing through suspension after seeing red late in Tuesday night’s game while John Goddard and Darnell Furlong also dropped to the bench.

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Bradley Barry rifles Town's winning goal into the net

Meanwhile, Port Vale only made one change, with Anthony De Freitas coming in for Jerome Thomas.

On a wet and windy autumn afternoon at the County Ground, both sides took a while to feel their way into the game, with the first chance falling to Anton Rodgers in the ninth minute when James Brophy found him in the box with a cut-back from the left but the midfielder pulled his shot wide.

Jak Alnwick was then called to his first save of the game in the 12th minute when a Michael Doughty cross evaded everyone and Barry was running onto the ball at the far post but couldn’t find a way past the Vale stopper.

At the other end, the nature of Swindon’s defenders to overplay with the ball was never far away as Jamie Sendles-White was caught in possession trying to walk the ball out of the box, but he was given a reprieve by Sam Foley, whose shot was a tame one and Lawrence Vigouroux was relieved to see it into his arms.

Kasim, who opened his account for the season in the last home game against Coventry City, was found in a similar position by Brophy in the 18th minute but the Iraqi’s shot was well blocked by the flying body of Remi Streete.

As the game neared the half-hour mark, the rain started falling heavily again and the wind picked up, and at the same time, Vale started coming back into the contest and dominated proceedings for the next quarter of an hour.

Lloyd Jones had to throw his body in front of a shot from JJ Hooper after the Vale man did well to get on to a cross from Foley.

Less than a minute later, it was Lawrence Vigouroux who was denying Anthony Grant, this time as he smothered a half-volley in the box.

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Town fans roar with delight after their side take the lead at the County Ground

The visitors, now well entrenched in the Swindon half, continued to press and after Vigouroux could only get fingertips to a Ben Purkiss cross, the goal looked at the mercy of Anton Forrester and Hooper but neither could get the telling touch at the back post as Town hastily cleared their lines.

Only a deflection from Jones prevented Forrester from putting Vale ahead at the break after the forward turned smartly in the box to get his shot away, with Town releasing an almost audible sigh of relief as Dean Whitestone blew for half-time without any time added on.

The break appeared to do Swindon the world of good as they regrouped and just two minutes after the restart, found themselves in front.

Sendles-White played a ball down the right channel to Doughty, who cut inside before before playing a lovely pass into the path of Barry, charging into the box, whose right-footed shot found the roof of the net and gave Alnwick little chance.

A few hearts were in the mouths of Town fans just seven minutes later when De Freitas, down the left, drove a shot in and the ball ricocheted off the body of Vigouroux, who was up quick to claim the ball that was looping back towards his goal.

With the visitors now chasing the game, proceedings started to open up and Vale were letting their frustrations show as they picked up a succession of bookings.

Norris had the chance to open his account for Town and put the result beyond doubt in the 74th minute when Doughty found him well in the box, but the striker’s shot on the turn was tipped around the post by Alnwick.

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New signing Nathan Delfouneso applauds supporters as he is substituted

Doughty continued to dictate play going forward and had a marauding run forward in the 77th minute before playing in substitute Jordan Stewart in the box, whose shot was dragged wide.

As to be expected, Swindon came under the cosh in the final moments of the game, with Vigouroux doing well to tip a close-range effort from Rigino Cicilia over the bar, however, the hosts managed the latter stages well to claim all three points.

While the end of the season is the smallest of dots on the horizon on this stage, Town have taken another step in the same path as Mark Cooper’s side two years ago and there could be worse paths to follow for the remainder of the campaign.