Swindon's Samsung Scoop

Paul Caddis modelling Town's
 stylish new home strip

Many football teams target this stage of the season for the unveiling of next season's prospective kits, both in a bid to excite fans and to attract players for the next campaign, often proudly displaying the club's business links on the prized jersey.

Following the inevitable relegation to League Two and the wave of news that followed it, Swindon's board and PR department chose the team's last home game against Oldham Athletic as the ideal platform for launching next season's kit. Having endured such a torrid weak, it was widely hoped that the unveiling event would both lift fans' spirits and provide them with something to look forward to, with League Two football on the horizon.

Under former chairman Andrew Fitton's stewardship, Town fans have been privelaged to experience such industry heavyweights as FourFourTwo Magazine and EA Sports' Fifa series sponsoring each of the club's home and away strips, featuring prominently in the designs. However, having had to stomach the raw feeling of demotion to the Football League's basement division and Fitton's resignation both in the same week, supporters were united in their beliefs that securing such lucrative sponsors would be a lot harder said than done considering the club's now League Two status.

Swindon fans, however, need not have worried, as the club announced Samsung, a background sponsor for the last year, had taken up the option to become the club's main sponsors, whilst both FourFourTwo and EA Sports had retained sponsorship packages, with Fifa 12 featuring on the back of the shirts and the FourFourTwo logo on the rear of the shorts respectively. Adidas will also produce the team's shirts for a third consecutive season, the latest in a long line of sensational scoops by the club's board.

The match itself was a meaningless tie between two teams whose fate for the next season had already been sealed, with two moments of quality from Oldham Athletic captain Chris Taylor proving to be the difference between the sides as Swindon fell to a 2-0 defeat at the County Ground.

Paul Bodin's first match as caretaker manager of the Robins had all the hallmarks of an end-of-season dead rubber, with neither side looking particularly interested in wrestling the initiative and, although Town created the better chances, they could have few complains over the results.

Town made a bright start to the match and might have been in front within five minutes as Simon Ferry showed great vision to send Billy Bodin through on goal, only for the youngster to see his low shot drag wide of the far post.

The hosts continued to dominate the opening exchanges, with Oldham goalkeeper Dean Brill called in to some early action, doing well to hold on to Lescinel Jean-Francois header, who rose well to meet a Jon-Paul McGovern cross.

However, despite all of their early pressure, Town found themselves behind after 20 minutes as Taylor was allowed space to cut inside on to his favourite right foot and drill an unstoppable drive past Phil Smith. The goal disrupted Swindon's early pressure, and the match subsequently lost much of its opening competitiveness, with neither side operating to full-strength.

Little action followed as the Latics saw out the first half with considerable ease and, despite a half-hearted penalty appeal from youngster Bodin, having been brushed off the ball in the box, went into half time holding onto a 1-0 lead.

The visitors made the brighter start to the second period, but it was Town who went closest to notching the game's second goal as a Michael Rose cross evaded the heads of the Oldham defence to fall for an unmarked Calvin Andrew who was denied by Brill from close range, before the Latics 'keeper reacted brilliantly to parry McGovern's first-time follow-up.

Despite Matt Ritchie then forcing Brill to save well from the resultant corner, which the 'keeper did well to fingertip wide, Town found themselves with a mountain to climb after 70 minutes and it was the impressive Taylor who again proved to be their nemesis. The Oldham captain, who saw his initial shot blocked, pounced on to the loose ball before side-footing it past Smith and into the corner from 20 yards.

To their credit, Swindon continued to put pressure on the Oldham rearguard, but a lack of potency in attack was looking likely to be their downfall again as the match drifted towards the final whistle.

All in all, the match proved to be a fitting way to end a hugely disappointing season as, despite being so often in control of possession, Town flattered to decieve in attack and conceded avoidable goals at the back.