49 up

PURE pessimism had clearly seeped into the County Ground wiring as the scoreboard flashed up Swindon Town 1 Nottingham Forest 2.

Disgraceful really as it hasn’t been around long enough to develop a cynical attitude that something’s bound to go wrong or Lady Luck will inevitably whallop us in the proverbials.

Not that it was just the scoreboard which was behaving strangely though. The fourth official’s board seemed to be poking fun at Andy King.

As the Town boss attempted to make a change in the second half, up flashed number 96. Even Chelsea don’t have that many players at their disposal.

Still, who needs 96 when one will do, specifically one New Zealander. Rory Fallon didn’t win this game for Town on his own but his individual contribution was inspiring stuff.

His pre-match aim was to shake up the opposition and add some extra aggression to Town’s game and he was as good as his word.

As the advertising blurb goes, this is a new and improved Rory Fallon.

His transformation was summed up in the space of 60 first half seconds. He burst clear on the half-hour only to curl a shot wide of the post.

Far from letting that drain his confidence, he pounced on a Jamie Cureton through ball moments later, coolly picked his spot and found the top corner.

The first emotion was one of sheer delight, a goal’s a goal after all, but you also sensed genuine warmth towards Fallon himself.

No-one likes a quitter and Fallon refused to throw in the towel when the going got tough last season.

This is a footballer now brimming with confidence and self-belief and that has to bode well for the months ahead.

Town badly needed a result after two defeats and, although Rome wasn’t built in a day, the signs are that there is hope.

The little and large combination up front worked well in a 4-4-2 structure. The defence looked far more solid, the midfielders were able to get the ball down and as the manager later pointed out, there was the likelihood of goals rather than mere hope that one would materialise.

Sean O’Hanlon marshalled his troops well and what better way of leading by example than popping in the winner.

He was perfectly placed 17 minutes from time to head the ball home at the Town End from Christian Roberts’ corner and lift King’s men off the bottom.

It’s been a happy few days for Roberts. His arrival from the bench in the last two matches has provided a shot in the arm to his colleagues and so it proved again.

The same could be said of Ricky Shakes and the pair should have combined to give the scoreline a more comfortable feel in the dying seconds.

Roberts pulled the ball back, only for the former Bolton youngster to roll his shot agonisingly wide of the left upright.

Not that it proved crucial in the end.

On an afternoon which saw Nicky Summerbee receive an enthusiastic welcome ‘home’ Town showed no signs of being overawed by taking on former European champions.

Although Forest showed signs of attacking menace in the first half, they faded after the break with Town finishing by far the stronger.

Gary Megson was spitting fury and gum in equal amounts during the second period and it doesn’t look like being an easy route back to the Championship.

Not that Town care about that.

Victory seemed to prove the ‘much of a muchness’ theory about League One and King’s men have nothing to fear.

The afternoon might not have ended so happily had O’Hanlon not thrown himself in front of Gareth Taylor’s seventh-minute strike.

Jamie Cureton twice rifled wide of the left post in the opening quarter of an hour while Summerbee crashed a free-kick into the Forest wall.

The County Ground roared with delight as Fallon struck but a huge test of character was put before the players when Commons levelled from close range six minutes before the interval.

Town refused to buckle and although Breckin struck the woodwork and Gardner warmed Evans’ palms, the second-half tide turned firmly in Town’s favour.

The home defence held firm, with each member of the back four emerging with credit.

Summerbee and Cureton made way for Shakes and Roberts respectively and the momentum was all with King’s men.

Thankfully, O’Hanlon’s goal allowed Town to clock up three points on the board and I’m sure the irony wasn’t lost on the home faithful that their ‘spot’ at the foot of the table was taken by Bristol City.

Rory and friends must now make sure no-one kicks sand in their faces at the seaside on Saturday.