Swindon Town 1 Harrogate Town 1: Simon Weaver left with 'mixed emotions' as Sulphurites concede late on

The Sulphurites looked to be on course for a hard-earned three points - and first success in five attempts - thanks to Anthony O’Connor’s excellent 52nd-minute header.But, ex-QPR forward Austin popped up five minutes from the end of the regulation 90 to nod home an equaliser that prevented Town from delivering the perfect response to their midweek mauling by Newport County.

Weaver described his players’ performance during that 4-1 defeat as one of the worst he has seen in his 15 years managing the club, and so although frustrated not to have held on for the win, he was pleased to at least get a positive reaction.

"I've got mixed emotions,” the Sulphurites chief reflected. “I'd have taken a point after the other night's debacle, but we showed signs of really looking like a good team again today, which makes the performance on Tuesday even more unfathomable.

"However, I have to judge it on today and this was another good away performance, and you can see why we are third in the table for away form.

"Today was much better, we looked like a professional football club for a start, and showed all the facets needed to do well at this level.

"We looked more compact throughout and there were many more duels won. There weren't the open spaces for people to play in. We defended resiliently until the 85th minute.

"I'm disappointed that we didn't put them to bed before they scored in the 85th minute. That was a bit of a sucker punch, but overall we would have valued a point before the game."

The opening half of Saturday’s contest was rather a dull affair, with neither team managing to test the other’s goalkeeper from the few decent openings that were created.

The first real chance arrived when Abraham Odoh did well down the Harrogate left and crossed for Matty Daly, however Town’s number 10 got his finish all wrong.

At the other end, Aaron Drinan powered a header wide of the mark before flashing a well-struck effort from the edge of the box just past the post.

Odoh then spurned a great opportunity to break the deadlock, Daly’s cross from the left seemingly hitting him and bouncing wide when he really ought to have done much better.

The Sulphurites started the second period brightly and got their noses in front when Stephen Dooley won a free-kick wide on the right. George Thomson’s curling delivery was extremely inviting and centre-half O’Connor made the most of it, throwing himself at the ball and directing his header inside the far post.

The impressive O’Connor then showed his quality inside his own box, making a last-ditch block to prevent Paul Glatzel from levelling matters with James Belshaw beaten.

However, the period of the game which followed saw Town play some incisive attacking football and open up their hosts on a number of occasions without managing to find the second goal which surely would have settled the contest.

Matty Daly was denied what would have been a tap-in when Swindon goalkeeper Jack Bycroft stuck out a leg to kick away Thomson’s low cross from the right, Thomson fired over the cross-bar after Muldoon had got in behind down the left and Joe Mattock glanced the wrong side of the upright.

Harrogate then appeared to tire, and with fresh legs not arriving until Swindon had already seized the ascendancy, much of the last 25 minutes was played in the away half.

With the visitors struggling to escape their own territory, the Robins began to turn the screw, and an equaliser felt like it might be coming.

It eventually arrived in the 85th minute, with Weaver left to rue the fact that his team weren’t out of sight by that point.

"When we got to 1-0, we were causing them all kinds of trouble and their heads had gone,” he said. “You can see, without being disrespectful, facts are facts at the end of the day, why they [Swindon] have conceded over 60 goals.

"Once we got one, you could see a lot of nerves and apprehension at the back, and we were carving them open. But, that is where you need the quality to finish teams off, and that is where we fell short on the day.

"We needed to find that killer pass, to believe, have a shot. We checked back so often and took the safe option.

"The players that have stood out for us over the years, like Jack Diamond, they go for the throats, don't they, and have shots. They don't fear recrimination, and that's the culture that we want here. We don't have a go at players for having a go.

"It was just a bit steady in front of goal, and I'll keep demanding more from them.”

Saturday’s result sees Harrogate drop one place to 13th in the League Two standings, where they now sit five points outside the division’s final play-off spot.