Match report

Swindon Town Defeats Gillingham 2-0 in League Two Clash

Swindon Town
Swindon Town
2–0
FT
Gillingham
Gillingham
Jan 1, 2026

Swindon Town showcased resilience and skill to defeat Gillingham 2-0 in a competitive League Two match. With goals from R. Tafazolli and A. Drinan, the home side managed to hold off a determined Gillingham, despite several yellow cards and substitutions that disrupted the flow of the game.

Key Facts

  • • Swindon Town defeated Gillingham 2-0 in League Two.
  • • Goals scored by R. Tafazolli (59') and A. Drinan (90').
  • • F. Mabete of Swindon Town received a yellow card for an off-the-ball foul at the 25th minute.
  • • J. Andrews from Gillingham was shown a yellow card for argument at the 60th minute.

Lineups

Swindon Town

Formation: 3-4-1-2

Starting XI

  • 1 C. Ripley (G)
  • 5 W. Wright (D)
  • 17 R. Tafazolli (D)
  • 3 F. Mabete (D)
  • 33 J. McGregor (M)
  • 18 G. Kilkenny (M)
  • 7 T. Nichols (M)
  • 26 F. Munroe (M)
  • 44 D. Oldaker (F)
  • 23 A. Drinan (F)
  • 28 O. Palmer (F)

Substitutes

  • 12 L. Ward
  • 6 J. Ball
  • 11 J. Tabor
  • 20 P. Ehibhatiomhan
  • 34 B. Kirkman
  • 37 D. Gonzalez

Gillingham

Formation: 4-1-3-2

Starting XI

  • 25 J. Turner (G)
  • 2 R. Hutton (D)
  • 30 S. Gale (D)
  • 5 A. Smith (D)
  • 3 M. Clark (D)
  • 6 E. Coleman (M)
  • 20 E. Nevitt (M)
  • 8 A. Little (M)
  • 10 J. Williams (M)
  • 9 J. Andrews (F)
  • 11 A. Rowe (F)

Substitutes

  • 1 G. Morris
  • 4 C. Masterson
  • 12 S. Palmer-Houlden
  • 14 R. McKenzie
  • 17 J. Smith
  • 19 S. Vokes
  • 23 B. Dack

Timeline

  1. Swindon Town
    25' Swindon Town Card · Yellow Card
    F. Mabete

    Off the ball foul

  2. Swindon Town
    48' Swindon Town subst · Substitution 1
    Off: F. Mabete · On: J. Tabor
  3. Swindon Town
    59' Swindon Town Goal · Normal Goal
    R. Tafazolli · Assist: F. Munroe
  4. Gillingham
    60' Gillingham Card · Yellow Card
    J. Andrews

    Argument

  5. Gillingham
    68' Gillingham subst · Substitution 1
    Off: E. Coleman · On: R. McKenzie
  6. Gillingham
    68' Gillingham subst · Substitution 2
    Off: A. Rowe · On: B. Dack
  7. Gillingham
    69' Gillingham subst · Substitution 3
    Off: Jonathan Williams · On: J. Smith
  8. Gillingham
    79' Gillingham subst · Substitution 4
    Off: Elliott Nevitt · On: S. Palmer-Houlden
  9. Swindon Town
    82' Swindon Town subst · Substitution 2
    Off: D. Oldaker · On: J. Ball
  10. Gillingham
    83' Gillingham Card · Yellow Card
    Max Clark

    Foul

  11. Gillingham
    84' Gillingham subst · Substitution 5
    Off: J. Andrews · On: S. Vokes
  12. Swindon Town
    86' Swindon Town Card · Yellow Card
    Jake Tabor

    Foul

  13. Gillingham
    87' Gillingham Card · Yellow Card
    A. Little

    Foul

  14. Swindon Town
    89' Swindon Town Card · Yellow Card
    Connor Ripley

    Time wasting

  15. Swindon Town
    90' Swindon Town Goal · Normal Goal
    A. Drinan · Assist: O. Palmer

Match Stats

Stat Swindon Town Gillingham
Fouls 4 17
Pass Accuracy 67% 66%
Offsides — —
Red Cards — —
Total Shots 12 16
Corners 8 8
Total Passes 287 285
Yellow Cards 4 3
Blocked Shots 3 8
Shots on Target 2 4
xG 0.72 1.58
Shots off Target 7 4
Possession 51% 49%
Goals Prevented — —
Accurate Passes 191 189
Shots Inside Box 6 10
Saves 4 0
Shots Outside Box 6 6

Key Match Notes

  • ▸ R. Tafazolli's goal in the 59th minute gave Swindon Town the lead and boosted their morale, setting the tone for a dominant performance.
  • ▸ With Gillingham already reeling from several yellow cards and substitutions, A. Drinan sealed the victory with a goal in the last minute of regular time.