Swindon beaten late at Plymouth in the Trophy as they prepare to host Grimsby
Wednesday 11 November 2026 · By Judith Farnish
Swindon Town’s midweek ended in a late defeat, and they now turn to a home league game against Grimsby Town. On Tuesday they lost 2–1 at Plymouth Argyle in the Jersey Mike’s Trophy, a week after going out of the FA Cup at League One MK Dons.
Ronan Curtis scored a 27th-minute penalty for Plymouth. Antwoine Hackford equalised on 35 minutes, and 17-year-old Seb Campbell won it in the ninth minute of added time. The details are confirmed by Plymouth’s official report and the Herald. The attendance was 2,508. Swindon did not go through as group winners.
No fresh verbatim Trophy quote from Ian Holloway was opened this week. After the 2–1 cup defeat at MK Dons he had told the Swindon Advertiser: “You wouldn’t know which team was in League One, in my honest opinion. I don’t want to lose, but I’m taking that performance.”
He was particularly pleased with how his players reacted to going two goals down that day. “We were two nil down within a few minutes, but what pleased me after that was we didn’t buckle; we didn’t fold,” he said. “Unfortunately, we ran out of time and didn’t have that little bit of luck.”
Marvin Ekpiteta and Aaron Collins had put MK Dons 2–0 up inside 13 minutes, and Aaron Drinan pulled one back on the stroke of half-time, according to the Advertiser and the MK Citizen.
There was no fresh injury bulletin after either game. On the dispute involving the club’s owners, nothing new was found, and nothing has been reported that would suggest it has been settled.
There have been no League Two games since Tuesday 3 November, so the table is unchanged. Swindon are 13th on 19 points from 14 games, one point behind York City in seventh, the last play-off place. They are one of five clubs on 19 points. Their last six league games read lost, lost, drawn, won, drawn, won, so they are unbeaten in four in the league.
BBC Sport lists Swindon at home to Grimsby on Saturday 14 November at 3pm. Grimsby are sixth and reached the FA Cup second round the hard way on Sunday, winning a penalty shootout at Stafford Rangers after a 3–3 draw, before fielding a young side in a midweek Trophy defeat at home to Nottingham Forest Under-21s. Swindon are then listed at Newport County on Saturday 21 November, with a 12:30pm kick-off.
The home game against Grimsby is a big one. Grimsby are only one point ahead of Swindon, so a win would lift Swindon above them and could put them into the play-off places, depending on other results. Holloway took plenty from the cup performance at MK Dons, and the league unbeaten run of four games gives his side something to build on.
The late Trophy defeat will sting, but the league is where Swindon’s season will be judged. Saturday at home is the chance to show the character Holloway praised after the cup exit.
Swindon Town have played at The County Ground since 1896. The all-seater stadium sits just east of the town centre on County Road (SN1 2ED) and holds around 15,000. It is a proper old English ground: four distinct stands, a tight pitch, and a matchday that still feels local rather than corporate. From 2024–25 it has also been known as the Nigel Eady County Ground.
Visiting supporters are housed in the east end of the Arkell’s John Trollope Stand, the covered single-tier stand along the north touchline. The usual allocation is about 1,200–1,300 seats. Views are generally good, especially nearer the pitch; two roof supports can spoil the sightline if you sit high and central, so mid-to-low rows are kinder. For bigger followings the club opens the Stratton Bank behind the east goal. That end is seated but has no roof, so pack a hood in winter. Wheelchair spaces for away fans sit at the front of the Arkell’s in a covered bay; book early through the club.
Away turnstiles are off County Road, marked and stewarded. Coaches drop beside the away section. There is a ticket collection point next to that end. Payments inside the away concourse are cashless. A kiosk serves pies, pasties, hot drinks and cold drinks until fifteen minutes into the second half. Bar 71, by the away turnstiles, usually opens from noon on Saturdays and from 6pm for evening kick-offs, subject to demand. Facilities are compact rather than plush; many travellers still eat in town first.
Opposite you is the Don Rogers Stand, the newest and smartest side of the ground, opened in 1994 with a cantilever roof and the family area. Behind the west goal is the Alan McLoughlin Town End, the noisy home end, covered but with pillars. The pitch runs roughly east–west, so the two side stands are the long ones and the ends are shorter — that is why the diagram is drawn that way.
Swindon station is about a 10–15 minute walk: Station Road, Corporation Street, left onto Manchester Road, right onto County Road. From the M4 use junction 15, then Queen’s Drive and County Road. On-site parking is limited and should be booked via [email protected]. Cheaper first-come options include Swindon Cricket Club (SN1 2ED), St Joseph’s Catholic College on Ocotal Way (SN3 3LR) and Drove Primary School (SN1 3AH), typically around £5. Town-centre multi-storeys are a short walk if those fill. Street parking exists but watch signs and leave valuables out of sight.
The cricket club bar, when there is no cricket, is a practical pre-match stop for mixed colours. The Merlin on Drove Road is another away-friendly option a little further out. The County Ground Hotel on the doorstep is generally home-only on matchdays. Stewards are used to travelling support; follow the segregation and you will be fine. Check your club’s allocation on the day — if Stratton Bank is in use, dress for the weather and you will still be close to the action at one of the EFL’s more characterful grounds.