Adver Sport's analysis of Swindon Town's 0-0 draw at home to Mansfield Town

Now three months into the campaign, Phil Brown may start to be having real worries at the opposite end of the pitch.

Nine matches it took Swindon to record a clean sheet in 2018-19 but since that first at Morecambe back September 8, they have claimed six in 10 games.

However, the edge appears to have gone from the Town team in an attacking sense as despite netting three goals at Plymouth Argyle in the Checkatrade Trophy just under a fortnight ago, they have now scored only once in five League Two matches.

Swindon drew a fourth blank in that period on Saturday as the first return of former boss David Flitcroft to the Energy Check County Ground since he departed for Mansfield Town back in March ended in a 0-0 stalemate against the Stags.

That was despite the home side having the luxury of playing the entire second half with a man advantage after Will Atkinson was unfortunate to be sent off for a second bookable offence three minutes before half-time.

Town naturally dictated proceedings for the remainder of the contest but despite plenty of intent and endeavour, clear sights of goal were not forthcoming and in the end they had to make do with a solitary point.

That took Swindon’s tally to three of the last available 15 in the league and leaves them on 18 after 14 games – but, thankfully, still only four shy of the play-off places.

Just a couple more goals across that period would have made for so much better reading – and Brown will hope they can start to flow again soon before his side fall any further off the pace.

Brown made sweeping changes to the side beaten 2-0 at Exeter City a week earlier, with the Town boss opting for five alterations in total.

Lawrence Vigouroux was handed a first appearance in goal since September 1 as Luke McCormick dropped to the bench following a run of nine starts in succession, while Sid Nelson came into the heart of defence after missing three games with a hip injury as Town switched to a back four.

Michael Doughty was also fit to return after an absence of seven games due to a hip issue of his own. Steven Alzate joined him as a new face in a midfield trio and Brown’s final change was to bring Elijah Adebayo back into a three-pronged attack.

After a cagey opening, it took almost 10 minutes for either goalkeeper to be called into action as Mansfield’s former Swindon player Matt Preston was the man to draw the first save of the match.

Otis Khan’s corner fell nicely to the centre-back, who found room to blast a powerful shot, but home stopper Vigouroux was able to parry before gathering at the second attempt.

The other ex-Swindon player in the Stags line-up, Timi Elsnik, then played a part in the visitors’ next chance as he played the ball to Danny Rose, whose nod down allowed CJ Hamilton to charge in on goal but the Mansfield forward blazed high over the bar.

Mansfield remained in the ascendancy and had two more chances as the first half reached its midway point.

First, Khan showed good skill in the Swindon box before laying off to Jacob Mellis just outside, and although his shot managed to get through a crowd of bodies, it dribbled well wide.

Only a wonderful save from Vigouroux prevented the Stags from getting their noses in front after 25 minutes, with the Swindon number one tipping over a Rose header from a Khan free-kick after Toumani Diagouraga had felled Elsnik.

A total of 36 minutes had passed before the home side had their first sight of goal, with a Matt Taylor free-kick the source of it as he picked out Adebayo at the back post, but the on-loan Fulham forward sent his header straight at goalkeeper Robert Olejnik.

Having had to wait an age to get going, the home side had another decent opening immediately afterwards but again Olejnik kept them at bay, rushing from his line to thwart Keshi Anderson after he had been slipped in on goal by Adebayo.

Momentum then firmly turned in Swindon’s favour three minutes before half-time when Mansfield were reduced to 10 men following two bookings in quick succession for Atkinson.

The winger had been booked on the half-hour mark for a crude challenge on Taylor and although his second offence was soft, checking across Anderson after a clearance upfield, referee Antony Coggins had little hesitation in brandishing a second yellow card.

That allowed the home side another opportunity just before the break as Alzate flicked a boot at Taylor’s low cross from the left to the near post, with the effort drifting narrowly wide as the two teams headed back to the changing rooms with the deadlock still intact.

Swindon were quick out of the blocks in the second half and good work from Adebayo saw him cut the ball back across the six-yard box for Anderson after only two minutes, but Preston got in a crucial challenge.

The contest then stagnated for a while, but Town had huge appeals for a penalty just after the hour mark when Marc Richards went down in the box, however, referee Coggins had already blown his whistle for an earlier foul on Anderson by Ryan Sweeney.

Mansfield then mustered their first threatening attempt in more than half-an-hour as substitute Tyler Walker found space to let fly from just outside the box, with the effort flying just wide of the far post.

Swindon substitute Kaiyne Woolery, who had only just replaced Richards, was then straight into action, pouncing on a cross-cum-shot from Kyle Knoyle before firing straight at Olejnik.

Another second-half introduction, Jermaine McGlashan, then created the first gilt-edged chance for the home side on 70 minutes as he found an unmarked Adebayo at the back post with a deep cross from the right, but the striker could not get his effort on target from an acute angle.

The hosts continued to throw numbers forward and a deep cross from Taylor just eluded Anderson as the goal Brown’s side craved eluded them.

Brown made his final change with a quarter of an hour remaining, sending on Ellis Iandolo in place of Adebayo, and only the woodwork then denied Swindon with nine minutes to go as Taylor curled a 25-yard free-kick against the post after McGlashan had been left in a heap by Malvind Benning.

Taylor’s balls into the box were becoming the primary source of danger for Swindon and a deep free-kick with two minutes to go found the rising Nelson, who looped a header across goal but agonisingly wide.

Added time was a breathless affair, with Mansfield appearing to have a chance to steal the win when Hamilton bore down on goal, but Vigouroux burst from his line to snuff out the chance before sending the ball upfield to Anderson, who drew a fine save from Olejnik as the final chance for a winner escaped the hosts.