There could be no complaints; apart from the opening minutes of the game it was an abject performance from the Clarets although, had the referee done his job properly, we might just have got something from it late in the day.
Eddie Howe said we would make changes. We knew Jason Shackell and Junior Stanislas were ruled out with injuries forcing two changes from the team that had started at Derby. It was also no surprise to see Martin Paterson missing. Besides those three he also rested Lee Grant and Dean Marney.
 |
| Yet another goal for Charlie |
In came Brian Jensen, Michael Duff, Brian Stock, Marvin Bartley with Joseph Mills, left out at Pride Park, getting a recall. When I heard the team news I couldn't quite work out just how we were going to play.
We actually lined up with a back five, Stock in a holding midfield role, three midfielders in front of him with Bartley on the right, Chris McCann on the left and Ross Wallace in a central role. That left Charlie Austin, against his previous club, as the lone forward.
It seemed a strange formation but it looked to be working in the early stages of the game as we got on the front foot almost immediately.
We'd been warned before kick off by home fans that Austin was no longer liked at the County Ground. They didn't like his attitude in his closing weeks with them nor the way he ensured he got himself a transfer.
They were quickly onto him from the stands and delighted when he just missed the target with an early chance from our trademark corner routine. The home fans had more concerns. An Austin header was cleared off the line and then Chris McCann had a goal ruled out when he strayed offside.
It had been a decent start by the Clarets, and one that had left Swindon boss Paolo Di Canio apoplectic on the touchline. He turns in his own 90 minute routine for the crowd and you certainly can't keep your eye off him as he does everything to gee up his players and, it's fair to say, challenge the officials.
He needn't have worried. Our start fizzled out and as the game settled down we gifted them the lead with some more inept defending from a set piece. A short corner on the left was then played into the box by former loan player Jay McEveley.
What happened next was frightening. We allowed the ball to come across. David Edgar and Duff didn't appear to know what to do; goalkeeper Brian Jensen left himself flat footed towards his near post and it all left Paul Benson with the easiest of chances.
Worryingly, we had no response. Our only attacking intent had come from the two full backs and once Swindon closed down that avenue it left Austin isolated and an increasingly frustrated figure up front.
I can't recall us creating anything between the goal and half time but in fairness neither did they, but they did get a second goal when, according to one Burnley fan I spoke to, Edgar thought he was Franz Beckenbauer.
I don't think Ross Wallace helped but Edgar's pass to him was poor and put us under an immediate pressure that we were never able to recover from and with a two goal deficit at half time it was going to be an uphill battle to get anything from the game.
We reacted at half time by taking off Mills with Sam Vokes coming on. Mills, I felt, was unlucky to be the chosen one. I'd have preferred Ben Mee to have moved inside with either Duff or Edgar removed but at least it showed an attacking intent.
In truth there was little improvement. Swindon were still the better side but we did improve once Marney had replaced Brian Stock who had been awful. McCann did well to get in a shot that went just over and Vokes got in a good header, but Swindon always looked the more likely.
Then, with just over a quarter of an hour to go, we got a lifeline. It was all down to a superb ball in from the right by Vokes and Austin's exquisite first touch which took him past the goalkeeper leaving him with an empty net.
I still think the defender might have got a final touch to toe poke it home but I don't think we need the Austin/own goal debate again. It was Charlie's goal and now there was a cup tie on.
He almost got a second with a superb effort, only to see it blocked, and he should definitely have been given a penalty which referee James Adcock turned away. Just for a few minutes the hopes were raised but it soon ended with defending to match that at the first goal.
This time a free kick was played in by McEveley. Incredibly we allowed the ball to bounce some seven yards from goal in a central position and that left Troy Archibald-Henville (a player whose name all but circled the number on the back of shirt) to head for goal. Jensen fumbled it in and that was game over.
It might have got even worse. Swindon had two or three more chances. They fluffed a couple and Jensen partially redeemed himself with a decent save down to his left.
It all came to an end after some six minutes or so of stoppage time. The Burnley supporters trooped off knowing that it was the best team on the night by some distance that were going through.
Eddie Howe said we need to defend set pieces better. We do, but there were a lot of other things wrong with this performance. It was nowhere near good enough I'm afraid.
We'll hopefully have a stronger team out against Millwall; such as Jensen, Duff, Stock and Bartley did nothing to suggest they should be close to a place in the league team based on their performances last night.
Austin yet again comes out of the game with some credit. With the crowd on his back and with the Swindon players constantly trying to goad him, he again scored to continue this great scoring start to the season.
I thought Vokes did well in the second half with Mee the only other player to come out on the plus side, surely a central defensive position for him now.
But the COCUP is over for another season with the first defeat to a team from a lower division since Barnsley knocked us out three years ago.
The teams were;
Swindon: Wes Foderingham, Nathan Thompson, Alan McCormack, Troy Archibald-Henville (Aden Flint 84), Jay McEveley, Matt Ritchie, Tommy Miller, Alan Navarro (Simon Ferry 81), Gary Roberts, Paul Benson (James Collins 87), Andy Williams. Subs not used: Leigh Bedwell, Federico Bessone, Raffaele De Vita, John Bostock.
Yellow Cards: Jay McEveley, Tommy Miller, Troy Archibald-Henville, Alan McCormack.
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Kieran Trippier, Michael Duff, David Edgar, Ben Mee, Joseph Mills (Sam Vokes 45), Brian Stock (Dean Marney 56), Marvin Bartley, Ross Wallace, Chris McCann, Charlie Austin. Subs not used: Lee Grant, Luke O'Neill, Kevin Long, Danny Lafferty, George Porter.
Yellow Cards: Charlie Austin, Ben Mee.
Referee: James Adcock (Long Eaton).
Attendance: 7,353 (including 455 Clarets).