Walsall 2 Swindon 1 

Paynter screamer too late to save Town as drop zone gets closer

Coca-Cola League One

RESULT: Walsall 2 Swindon Town 1 

Walsall scorer: Ricketts 17, Nicholls 90

Swindon scorer: Paynter 90+1

 

25-yard effort: Billy Paynter

Billy Paynter helped switch on the Old Town Christmas lights this week - but his flash of brilliance in the 91st minute was too late to save Swindon today.

 

Walsall the winners thanks to a first-half finish from former Premiership striker Michael Ricketts, who shot low past Phil Smith just after the quarter-hour, and a late header from Alex Nicholls that made it 2-0.

 

Paynter's almost immediate long-range strike scant consolation as Town left it far too late to convert their dominance in pocession.

 

A tale of misses and missed opportunities pretty much summing up their day, as Dave Byrne watched his side lose for the first time in seven League games.

 

"Going forward we're a real handful but defensively we're just not good enough," the caretaker boss lamented at the final whistle.

 

Town fall to 19th, just one point off the relegation zone, after the loss.

 

New manager latest

 

Speculation has increased that former England stars Stuart Pearce and Martin Keown are on the short-list for the manager's job at the County Ground, but chairman Andrew Fitton refuses to confirm who he has interviewed.

 

It is also strongly rumoured that former Man Utd captain and Middlesborough manager Bryan Robson has also been considered. 

 

SwindonWeb understands that the less glamorous name of Richard Money, ironically the former Walsall manager, is definitely on the short-list.

 

The League One table:

 

1 Leicester 18 15 38
2 MK Dons 18 20 37
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3 Millwall 18 6 36
4 Oldham18 12 34
5 Peterborough 18 13 33
6 Scunthorpe 18 9 33
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7 Leeds 18 10 32
8 Stockport 18 11 31
9 Tranmere 18 3 27
10 Walsall 18 1 27
11 Southend 18 0 27
12 Hartlepool 18 -1 24
13 Northampton 18 1 23
14 Huddersfield 18 -5 23
15 Bristol Rovers 18 4 22
16 Colchester 18 -3 21
17 Carlisle 18 -8 20
18 Leyton Orient 18 -8 20
19 Swindon 18 -5 19
20 Brighton 18 -5 19
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21 Yeovil 18 -10 18
22 Hereford 18 -17 12
23 Cheltenham 18 -22 12
24 Crewe 18 -2 19

 

NEXT TWO GAMES:

Carlisle (H)
Saturday 06 December 2008 3:00pm
Coca-Cola League One

Crewe (A)
Saturday 13 December 2008 3:00pm
Coca-Cola League One