A piece of magic from Danny Butterworth helped Swindon Town to earn a 2-2 draw at the home of fellow strugglers Accrington Stanley.
Harry Smith was again on target as he headed in the opener, but much like last week Accrington gained more confidence from that and led at the breakthrough Sonny Aljofree and Farrend Rawson.
The home side looked to be in control through the second half and had chances to extend their lead before Butterworth came up with a sensational equaliser.
Swindon are still five without a win in League Two but starting a run of games against teams closer to the bottom of the table, they keep another competitor close with an away draw.
Ian Holloway was wasting no time in trying to find a solution to Swindon’s struggles and made six changes from the side which lost at Milton Keynes Dons last weekend. Danny Butterworth was deployed as a left wing-back and Sean McGurk was given his first league start of the season in the front three.
The opening stages were very transitional, with both sides having as many throw-ins as meaningful touches as they looked to attack each other directly. There were early sighters for Dara Costelloe when he raced after an up-and-under, forcing Jack Bycroft to punch it out and then McGurk got away from a corner and nearly set Butterworth in with a cross into space.
From that chaos came another moment for the red-hot Smith. A corner from Swindon was headed out only as far as Joel McGregor. He played the ball back into the centre and as Billy Crellin looked to come out for it, Smith rose and nodded it into the gaping net. That made it five in five league games for the giant hitman.
As happened last weekend, the goal saw the hosts come on strong instead of Swindon push home the advantage. Before long Costelloe had another opportunity as he took the ball down on the edge of the box, shimmied away from Will Wright and flashed a shot low but Bycroft got down to make the save.
The leveller did not take much longer as in the 17th minute a corner low into the near post saw Aljofree stick out a leg and flick the ball delicately over everyone and into the far top corner.
The home side also kept going after getting the equaliser and seemed the more likely to find another goal. Tyler Walton got in behind Wright on the left and cut back for Costelloe, who had a shot saved and then another corner was millimetres from finding Rawson at the far post.
Bycroft kept things level with a magnificent save from Costelloe after 31 minutes but it wouldn’t be that way for much longer as Accrington swiftly worked the ball back into the middle and Rawson was there at the near post to convert.
The home team seemed to have the beating of Swindon and kept looking to add to their advantage, with corners becoming especially hairy moments for Town.
Late in the first half Butterworth did very well to keep the ball in down the left and get away from a defender. His cross was headed by a combination of Smith and a defender into the path of Glatzel six yards out, but he couldn’t hit the target.
Holloway again found himself having to change things at the break, with George Cox replacing McGurk, but Accrington still looked much more dangerous as Costelloe’s flicked header skimmed wide of the far post three minutes into the second period.
There didn’t seem to be any inspiration from Swindon as they passed without much purpose before Accrington won the ball back and tore them open. Twice in a minute, they gave the ball away in their own half to set Costelloe in, the first time saw a perfect recovery tackle from Minturn and the second he curled just wide.
The hosts were well on top and would have been frustrated not to make that count with Rawson heading onto the roof of the net and Ben Woods drilling wide from a free kick just some of the cornucopia of opportunities coming their way.
A moment of sheer magic was what Swindon desperately needed and that is exactly what they got. With 69 minutes on the clock, Butterworth turned into Lionel Messi and drifted between defenders like an Olympic skier before slamming home the leveller.
The wizardry from Butterworth put a spell on Accrington and suddenly it was Swindon pushing forward. Gavin Kilkenny slammed a volley that needed a block and Glatzel headed over from close range.
With four strikers on the pitch and only one true midfielder, Swindon seemed to find something and kept coming up but were not quite able to make it a memorable win on the road.
ASFC starting XI: Crellin, Love, Awe, Rawson, Coyle, B. Woods, Khumbeni, Costelloe, Walton, Aljofree, J. Woods.
ASFC substitutes: Kelly, Henderson, Knowles, Popoola, Smith, Conneely, Hunter.
STFC starting XI: Bycroft, Delaney, Wright, Ofoborh, Cotterill, Glatzel, Smith, McGurk, Butterworth, Minturn, McGregor.
STFC substitutes: Barden, Sobowale, Cain, Kilkenny, Tshimanga, Drinan, Cox.
Attendance: 2,755 (374 away).
