Swindon hold Bristol Rovers to goalless draw after late Quigley header is ruled out
Sunday 25 October 2026 · By Frank Satterthwaite
Swindon Town came away from the Memorial Stadium with a point on Saturday after a 0–0 draw with Bristol Rovers. Ian Holloway’s side had the better of the early chances, and Rovers had a late header ruled out for a foul.
According to Bristol Live, Swindon missed a couple of big first-half chances through Aaron Drinan and Matty Virtue. Rovers were the better side after the break but rarely tested goalkeeper Connor Ripley.
The big moment came at the very end. Joe Quigley headed into the net for Rovers, but referee Seb Stockbridge ruled it out for a foul by Kofi Balmer on Swindon defender James Debayo. Rovers manager Steve Evans was unhappy with the decision. “There’s simply no foul when the ball ends up in the net,” he told Bristol Live.
Evans also admitted that Swindon had caused his side problems early on. “I think arguably we could be one or two down in the first 10 minutes,” he said. “I think that’s part of the conditions and partly the way that Swindon set up with three number tens.”
The point came after a big midweek win for Swindon. On Tuesday they won 3–1 at Barnet, who are second in the table. The Swindon Advertiser reported that it was their first away win since March, and the BBC said it ended an eight-match winless run in all competitions.
That win came at a cost, though. The Swindon Advertiser reported before the game that captain Ollie Clarke has a hamstring tear and is expected to miss five to six weeks. Midfielder Anthony Munda hyper-extended his knee at Barnet and was due to have a scan to find out the extent of the injury.
There was better news elsewhere. Dan Butler was available again, as was Jack Thomson, and Joel McGregor was set to be in a matchday squad for the first time this season after recovering from an ankle injury.
Holloway was clear about how his side would cope. “You have to just learn how to win with who we’ve got left to pick from,” he told the Swindon Advertiser. “As long as they give the effort that they’ve given me the last two games, I will protect that, and I will stand up for that no matter what the score was.”
The draw leaves Swindon 14th on 16 points from 13 games, level on points with Tranmere Rovers and Bristol Rovers. They are three points off the play-off places, and Saturday’s clean sheet was a welcome one.
There is no midweek game, so Swindon have a week to recover. Their next match is at home to Rotherham United on Saturday 31 October, kick-off 3pm GMT. Rotherham drew 3–3 with Shrewsbury Town on Saturday and are 22nd.
In the FA Cup first round, Swindon travel to MK Dons. That tie was not chosen for television, so it is scheduled for 3pm GMT on Saturday 7 November unless the FA says otherwise.
Four points from two away games in a week, and a clean sheet in a derby, is a solid return for a squad that is short of bodies. The task now is to build on it at home.
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.