Full-time: Swindon Town 0 Brighton 2

New manager Danny Wilson was forced to suffer a home defeat in his first game in charge of Swindon Town.

A brace from veteran marksman Nicky Forster either side of half-time was enough to see off the challenge of Town, who were ultimately punished for a failure to capitalise in an opening period where they had dominated.

Wilson's side laboured for much of the rest of the game in a bid to break down their resolute opponents but the new manager will know there is plenty of work to do if he is to realise the Championship ambitions set out by Town chairman Andrew Fitton.

The new boss had named an unchanged side from the one that ended a ten-game winless run with victory at Leyton Orient on Friday, but it was the Seagulls who stared the brighter.

They carved out the first opportunity inside five minutes when Town defender Patrick Kanyuka was caught the wrong side of the ball at a throw in to allow livewire striker Stuart Fleetwood the chance to get in behind and fizz a dangerous pass across the face of goal. Wide man Adam Virgo won a footrace with Michael Timlin to get to the ball first and forced goalkeeper Peter Brezovan to divert a vicious low effort behind for a corner.

Town got to grips with their opponents following that early scare and went close to breaking the deadlock before twenty minutes had elapsed. They posed a constant threat down the left and dangerous crosses from Timlin and Jon-Paul McGovern almost yielded goals.

Peacock headed Timlin's centre wide of the post before Brighton defender Matt Richards was forced to head the ball to safety from McGovern's menacing cross to the far post.

Town went close again soon after; Timlin hitting the base of the post from a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area that was almost a carbon copy of the one he did score against Yeovil the last time Town were at the County Ground.

Striker Simon Cox was the next to try his luck after skipping unchallenged through a couple of half-hearted challenges to pull the trigger from the edge of the box. The shot went high and wide before Brighton wideman Kevin McCleod saw produced a similarly wayward finish at the other end when the visitors enjoyed a rare foray into Town territory.

But the Seagulls were ahead soon after when Forster pounced on a clever through ball from Stuart Fleetwood to angle a clinical finish past Town goalkeeper Peter Brezovan.

They doubled their lead five minutes after the restart after slack defending had let Fleetwood in behind again to chase a long punt forward from goalkeeper John Sullivan.

The pacy frontman got too the bouncing ball before Brezovan only to see his effort ricochet off the big Slovakian. Fleetwood's attempts to chase the rebound, however, were impeded needlessly by Timlin and the referee showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Forster showed similar lack of hesitation to convert the spot-kick and double the lead.

Wilson immediately made a double change in a bid to find a way back into the game; Lilian Nalis and Blair Sturrock making way for Anthony McNamee and Barry Corr. McNamee made an instant impression on the flank by firing in a couple of tantalising crosses but with nobody in the right place to capitalise the chances were lost.

Town continued to labour in an attempt to break down an obstinate Seagulls backline, who were now content to sit on the two-goal lead and rely on long balls over the top for Fleetwood and Forster to chase.

McGovern and Peacock both tried their luck from distance unsuccessfully as Micky Adams side held out to gain a much-needed victory.

Swindon Town (4-4-2): Brezovan; J Smith, Ifil, Kanyuka, Timlin; Easton, Peacock, Nalis (McNamee 54), McGovern; Cox, Sturrock (Corr 54). Subs: Amankwaah, Pook, Morrison.

Brighton & Hove Albion (4-4-2): Sullivan; Whing, Hinshelwood, Elphick, Richards; Virgo (Murray 75), Fraser, Johnson, McCleod; Forster, Fleetwood. Subs: Crichton, Mayo, Thornton, Loft.