Swindon Town 2-1 Barnet
Posted on: Mon 14 Aug 2006
ROYCE Brownlie duly delivered the tonic Town's plane crash quartet required to aid the healing process with a blistering stoppage-time winner against Barnet.
The roar that greeted the goal should have carried to the Slough hospital where all are being treated, indeed it may well have reached Brownlie's Coffs Harbour home Down Under by now.
The Australian's first senior goal in English football was one to remember.
Thoughts were very much with Mark Devlin, his son Stan, Bill Power and Mike Sullivan before the game.
Matchday announcer Gary Tate called for a cracking atmosphere which would bring smiles to all those involved in Saturday's horrific events.
Brownlie's 30-yard thumper provided the perfect ending to proceedings and sent a 7,000 plus crowd home happy.
He said: "The ball went wide, Christian Roberts came across and drew two defenders, played the ball to me outside the box.
"Striker's instinct told me to take a touch and have a hit. I put it in the top corner so I was happy.
"When you play with better players you get in good positions and hopefully that will continue.
"As long as we keep working hard I'm sure the results will keep coming."
Brownlie entered the fray as a substitute, once again sitting just behind the front two, It's something he enjoys.
He said: "It's a lazy striker's role and if you can play it right it works well."
Boss Dennis Wise was able to name an unchanged side with both Lee Peacock and Curtis Weston shaking off injury concerns.
Former Town favourite Giuliano Grazioli had to be content with a place on the bench for the visitors.
Town started brightly and could have been three up in the opening 10 minutes.
On four minutes Shakes found Christian Roberts on the right and his superb chipped cross was met by the Trinidad and Tobago man.
Sadly the youngster could only plant his header wide of the left upright.
Moments later Michael Pook's cross from the right byline cleared Peacock and Andy Monkhouse somehow stabbed wide of the right post from six yards.
Town had the ball in the net on 13 as Peacock cushioned a header into Roberts' path, the Welshman found the left corner of the net but the flag had long since been up.
However, Town paid the price for failing to convert their early opportunities when Barnet took the lead on 18 minutes.
Ifil was caught by Dean Sinclair on the left byline and when Town failed to clear after a spot of penalty area ping-pong, Nick Bailey pounced to slam the ball past Brezovan from eight yards.
Weston was booked on 28 for clattering into Andy Hessenthaler and Town's defence was almost caught napping on 34 when Magno Vieira nipped in between two red shirts, lobbing the ball over Brezovan but thankfully over the crossbar as well.
On 37, a training ground routine almost came off for Wise's men, Smith sliding a low free-kick from the left to Roberts on the edge of the area, only for the skipper to completely mis-kick.
The visitors bossed the midfield in the opening 45 minutes and in a bid to address that situation, Wise introduced Paul Evans at Pook's expense at the start of the second half.
Town levelled matters on 54 when man of the match Roberts turned superbly, played in Shakes to his right and the Trinidad and Tobago man found the left hand corner of the net from 15 yards.
It looked suspiciously like a cross but frankly, who cares.
Roberts almost muscled his way through moments later as the volume and atmosphere suddenly returned with a vengeance.
It was Roberts again, this time with a left foot chip, who got the crowd to its feet, only to push the ball wide of the target on 57.
Town's pressure brought numerous free-kicks and corners but the delivery for the most part was woeful, something the manager would later acknowledge.
The visitors went close on 72, Dean Sinclair heading just wide of the right post and then Adam Gross sent a thumping drive wide of the left post.
Evans curled a 22 yard free-kick wide of the left post following a foul on Shakes before Wise made a double switch with 11 minutes remaining.
Goalscorer Shakes was replaced by Royce Brownlie with Fola Onibuje coming on for Peacock.
As the match moved into stoppage time, Roberts played the ball into Brownlie's path and the former Queensland Roar man did the rest.
More 'you beaut' than 'you beauty'
The roar that greeted the goal should have carried to the Slough hospital where all are being treated, indeed it may well have reached Brownlie's Coffs Harbour home Down Under by now.
The Australian's first senior goal in English football was one to remember.
Thoughts were very much with Mark Devlin, his son Stan, Bill Power and Mike Sullivan before the game.
Matchday announcer Gary Tate called for a cracking atmosphere which would bring smiles to all those involved in Saturday's horrific events.
Brownlie's 30-yard thumper provided the perfect ending to proceedings and sent a 7,000 plus crowd home happy.
He said: "The ball went wide, Christian Roberts came across and drew two defenders, played the ball to me outside the box.
"Striker's instinct told me to take a touch and have a hit. I put it in the top corner so I was happy.
"When you play with better players you get in good positions and hopefully that will continue.
"As long as we keep working hard I'm sure the results will keep coming."
Brownlie entered the fray as a substitute, once again sitting just behind the front two, It's something he enjoys.
He said: "It's a lazy striker's role and if you can play it right it works well."
Boss Dennis Wise was able to name an unchanged side with both Lee Peacock and Curtis Weston shaking off injury concerns.
Former Town favourite Giuliano Grazioli had to be content with a place on the bench for the visitors.
Town started brightly and could have been three up in the opening 10 minutes.
On four minutes Shakes found Christian Roberts on the right and his superb chipped cross was met by the Trinidad and Tobago man.
Sadly the youngster could only plant his header wide of the left upright.
Moments later Michael Pook's cross from the right byline cleared Peacock and Andy Monkhouse somehow stabbed wide of the right post from six yards.
Town had the ball in the net on 13 as Peacock cushioned a header into Roberts' path, the Welshman found the left corner of the net but the flag had long since been up.
However, Town paid the price for failing to convert their early opportunities when Barnet took the lead on 18 minutes.
Ifil was caught by Dean Sinclair on the left byline and when Town failed to clear after a spot of penalty area ping-pong, Nick Bailey pounced to slam the ball past Brezovan from eight yards.
Weston was booked on 28 for clattering into Andy Hessenthaler and Town's defence was almost caught napping on 34 when Magno Vieira nipped in between two red shirts, lobbing the ball over Brezovan but thankfully over the crossbar as well.
On 37, a training ground routine almost came off for Wise's men, Smith sliding a low free-kick from the left to Roberts on the edge of the area, only for the skipper to completely mis-kick.
The visitors bossed the midfield in the opening 45 minutes and in a bid to address that situation, Wise introduced Paul Evans at Pook's expense at the start of the second half.
Town levelled matters on 54 when man of the match Roberts turned superbly, played in Shakes to his right and the Trinidad and Tobago man found the left hand corner of the net from 15 yards.
It looked suspiciously like a cross but frankly, who cares.
Roberts almost muscled his way through moments later as the volume and atmosphere suddenly returned with a vengeance.
It was Roberts again, this time with a left foot chip, who got the crowd to its feet, only to push the ball wide of the target on 57.
Town's pressure brought numerous free-kicks and corners but the delivery for the most part was woeful, something the manager would later acknowledge.
The visitors went close on 72, Dean Sinclair heading just wide of the right post and then Adam Gross sent a thumping drive wide of the left post.
Evans curled a 22 yard free-kick wide of the left post following a foul on Shakes before Wise made a double switch with 11 minutes remaining.
Goalscorer Shakes was replaced by Royce Brownlie with Fola Onibuje coming on for Peacock.
As the match moved into stoppage time, Roberts played the ball into Brownlie's path and the former Queensland Roar man did the rest.
More 'you beaut' than 'you beauty'
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