Swindon 2 Mansfield 1

Last updated : 26 October 2002 By Footymad Previewer

French striker Eric Sabin netted his second goal of the season to earn Swindon a crucial victory over fellow strugglers Mansfield Town.

Sabin produced the decisive strike two minutes after the restart following a mistake by Neil McKenzie, giving Swindon their first victory in five league games.

McKenzie delayed his clearance allowing Sabin to rob him of possession and round goalkeeper Arjan Van Heusden to slot into the empty net.

There was no one more relieved than Swindon goalkeeper Bart Griemink, who had gifted the opposition the lead inside the opening two minutes.

Griemink drilled a fierce clearance at team mate David Duke and, as he struggled to control the ball, Liam Lawrence nipped in to curl a left foot shot from the edge of the area with past Swindon's stranded keeper.

Striker Sam Parkin pulled the home side level in the 19th minute when he rifled home his seventh goal of the season into the roof of the net following Johnny Jackson's long ball downfield.

And Swindon were unlucky not to be in front at half time, as Van Heusden did well to deny captain Andy Gurney on the half hour mark and then produced a full length save five minutes later to stop team mate Mark Lever's deflection creeping inside the far corner.

But Lawrence will count himself unlucky not to have equalised six minutes after Sabin had given Swindon the lead when his right foot cross shot beat Griemink, only to rebound off the left hand upright to safety