Half-time: Swindon Town 1 Cheltenham Town 1

Swindon and Cheltenham are locked at a goal apiece at the end of the opening period in the clash of West rivals at the County Ground tonight.

Reading loanee Hal Robson-Kanu edged Swindon in front with a vicious low drive on 32 minutes after Lee Ridley had conceded possession too easily when delaying the need to clear his lines.

The lead lasted for all of 60 seconds as almost immediately from the restart, striker Elvis Hammond hammered an unstoppable shot in to the top corner from the edge of the penalty area after being fed by Josh Low.

Heavy rainfall in Wilshire for most of the day contributed to a greasy surface at the County Ground, but both sides tried to keep the ball on the ground and managed to string together a couple of useful chances.

Swindon had the better of those with Billy Paynter missing a good early chance by volleying an Anthony McNamee cross wildly over the bar when offered time and space to have done much better.

Robson-Kanu also tested Cheltenham goalkeeper Scott Brown with a low effort before opening the scoring, while Jack Smith failed to get enough purchase on a close-range header following a pin-point delivery by Simon Cox.

Striker Cox also scuffed a half-chance across the face of goal and wide on the stroke of half-time when the ball fell to him kindly after a moment of weather-induced pinball inside the Cheltenham penalty area.

The only other real chance of note for Cheltenham came as early as the third minute when Ashley Vincent almost marked his return to the side with a goal, but squandered the glorious one-on-one opportunity by firing wide of the far post.

The striker's night ended before the referee reached for the half-time whistle following a rudimentary tackle by Swindon midfielder Michael Timin that saw him carted off down the tunnel on a stretcher.

Swindon Town (4-4-2): Brezovan; J Smith, Ifil, Greer, Vincent; Robson-Kanu, Timlin, Peacock, McNamee; Paynter, Cox. Subs not used: P Smith, Amankwaah, Marshall, Allen, Jean-Francois.

Cheltenham Town (4-3-3): Brown; Bird, Duff, Gallinagh, Ridley; Finnigan, Westlake, Low; Vincent (Bignall 45), Connor, Hammond. Subs not used: Puddy, Spencer, Durrant, Hemmings