Swindon Town 1-0 Port Vale

Only Chesterfield's Eoin Doyle has scored more League One goals this season than Swindon striker Andy Williams

Andy Williams headed his 15th goal of the season as Swindon climbed back up to second in League One.

Williams, the Robins' top scorer, converted Nathan Byrne's right-wing cross 11 minutes into the second half.

Vale keeper Chris Neal had stopped a first-half shot from Byrne with his chest, while Swindon keeper Wes Foderingham denied Louis Dodds.

Foderingham made a superb save to stop Adam Yates scoring for Vale early in the second half before Williams' goal.

The Swindon keeper was again called on when Yates fired towards the near post from close range after former Swindon midfielder Mark Marshall had set up an attack.

Jon Obika got the ball in the Port Vale net soon afterwards, only to have his close-range header ruled out for offside.

But promotion-chasing Swindon, who had dropped out of the top two following a 1-0 defeat at home to Doncaster on 20 December, were not to be denied.

Williams's header secured a second straight Christmas victory for Mark Cooper's side following a 4-1 win at Walsall on Boxing Day.

Swindon manager Mark Cooper told BBC Wiltshire:

"We should have been a lot more comfortable. We shouldn't have been only 1-0 ahead.

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Cooper on Swindon v Port Vale

"We need to be a bit more clinical, when we have chances to kill the game off.

"We're only halfway in the season - there's 23 games to go and an awful lot of football to be played.

"We've just got to keep going."

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Swindon

• 1Foderingham
• 5Stephens
• 29Rossi Branco
• 6Turnbull
• 3Byrne
• 4LuongoBooked at 80mins
• 7Gladwin
• 19Thompson
• 15ToffoloBooked at 90mins
• 10Williams
• 20ObikaSubstituted forSmithat 63'minutes

Substitutes

• 9Smith
• 12Bell
• 14Reeves
• 18Barker
• 23Barthram
• 25Belford
• 26Rodgers

Port Vale

• 1Neal
• 2Yates
• 21Veseli
• 6Duffy
• 3Dickinson
• 20Marshall
• 17BrownBooked at 54mins
• 15O'ConnorSubstituted forLinesat 58'minutes
• 8DoddsBooked at 39minsSubstituted forCampionat 77'minutes
• 33N'GuessanSubstituted forDanielat 58'minutes
• 9Williamson

Substitutes

• 4Robertson
• 7Birchall
• 10Lines
• 12Johnson
• 14Daniel
• 19Moore
• 28Campion

Referee:

Darren Sheldrake

Attendance:

9,248

Match Stats

Home TeamSwindonAway TeamPort Vale

Possession

Home60%

Away40%

Shots

Home11

Away2

Shots on Target

Home7

Away1

Corners

Home6

Away9

Fouls

Home5

Away5

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Swindon Town 1, Port Vale 0.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+6'

Second Half ends, Swindon Town 1, Port Vale 0.

Posted at 90'+6'

Foul by Andy Williams (Swindon Town).

Posted at 90'+6'

Michael Brown (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Booking

Posted at 90'+5'

Harry Toffolo (Swindon Town) is shown the yellow card.

Posted at 90'+5'

Corner, Swindon Town. Conceded by Carl Dickinson.

Posted at 90'+2'

Foul by Nathan Byrne (Swindon Town).

Posted at 90'+2'

Mark Marshall (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 90'

Corner, Port Vale. Conceded by Raphael Rossi Branco.

Posted at 86'

Corner, Port Vale. Conceded by Jordan Turnbull.

Booking

Posted at 80'

Massimo Luongo (Swindon Town) is shown the yellow card.

Posted at 80'

Foul by Massimo Luongo (Swindon Town).

Posted at 80'

Chris Lines (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution

Posted at 77'

Substitution, Port Vale. Achille Campion replaces Louis Dodds.

Posted at 76'

Attempt saved. Massimo Luongo (Swindon Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Posted at 75'

Massimo Luongo (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 75'

Foul by Colin Daniel (Port Vale).

Posted at 72'

Corner, Port Vale. Conceded by Harry Toffolo.

Posted at 64'

Corner, Port Vale. Conceded by Jack Stephens.

Substitution

Posted at 63'

Substitution, Swindon Town. Michael Smith replaces Jonathan Obika.

Posted at 63'

Corner, Swindon Town. Conceded by Frederic Veseli.

Posted at 59'

Attempt missed. Andy Williams (Swindon Town) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left.

Posted at 59'

Corner, Port Vale. Conceded by Harry Toffolo.

Posted at 58'

Corner, Port Vale. Conceded by Jack Stephens.

Substitution

Posted at 58'

Substitution, Port Vale. Chris Lines replaces Michael O'Connor.

Substitution

Posted at 58'

Substitution, Port Vale. Colin Daniel replaces Dany N'Guessan.

Goal!

Posted at 56'

Goal! Swindon Town 1, Port Vale 0. Andy Williams (Swindon Town) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Nathan Byrne.

Posted at 55'

Attempt saved. Jonathan Obika (Swindon Town) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the centre of the goal.

Booking

Posted at 54'

Michael Brown (Port Vale) is shown the yellow card.

Posted at 54'

Louis Thompson (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 54'

Foul by Michael Brown (Port Vale).

Posted at 50'

Corner, Port Vale. Conceded by Wes Foderingham.

Posted at 50'

Attempt saved. Adam Yates (Port Vale) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Posted at 48'

Corner, Swindon Town. Conceded by Adam Yates.

Posted at 46'

Foul by Jonathan Obika (Swindon Town).

Posted at 46'

Richard Duffy (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Second Half

Posted at

Second Half begins Swindon Town 0, Port Vale 0.

Half Time

Posted at 45'+3'

First Half ends, Swindon Town 0, Port Vale 0.

Posted at 44'

Attempt saved. Andy Williams (Swindon Town) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner.

Posted at 43'

Ben Gladwin (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

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