SOMETIMES it is about substance over style.

Swindon Town have swept all before them in League Two in recent weeks to imperiously march to the top of the table.

On many occasions they have looked a class above their rivals in the bottom tier of the EFL.

A 2-0 victory over Oldham Athletic on Saturday made it a magnificent seven wins in a row in the league for Richie Wellens’ side.

A total of 16 goals have been scored during that run, with just three conceded as Swindon have established a stubborn rear-guard to go alongside a potent attack.

This weekend’s win over the Latics wasn’t built on ruthless forward play. It needed something different.

Oldham were certainly not overawed by their hosts’ illustrious credentials and proved more than a match for them in the first half at the County Ground.

The Manchester side pressed Swindon back in the opening exchanges but could not find a way through.

Having withstood that initial attack, Town broke Oldham’s own resistance in brutal fashion in first-half stoppage time as Kaiyne Woolery rifled the home side ahead.

That killer blow seemed to sap the life out of the Latics and the hosts had a calm measure of control over virtually every one of the second-half minutes.

Having already been frustrated by both a linesman’s offside flag and the woodwork, Swindon striker Eoin Doyle kept up a remarkable sequence of his own with five minutes to go as he found the net in a ninth league game in a row to make the points safe.

With the busy festive period now imminent where next weekend’s trip to local rivals Forest Green Rovers starts a run of five games in 15 days, Wellens’ side head into that run with confidence sky high.

They remain three points clear at the head of the table and have a seven-point cushion inside the top three automatic promotion places.

Even with the bleakest of Christmases, Swindon will surely remain amongst the strongest of contenders for promotion once the new year arrives.

Town boss Wellens had informed the media of an injury ailment suffered by a key player in the build-up to the game – with the unfortunate man being revealed as Jordan Lyden an hour before kick-off.

Diallang Jaiyesimi was the replacement to come into the Swindon midfield, with Wellens otherwise sticking faith the other 10 players who started the previous weekend’s 3-0 win at Grimsby Town.

Amongst the substitutes, Keshi Anderson returned to the matchday 18 having not featured since November 2 owing to an injury of his own.

Oldham enjoyed a good spell of early pressure and won a flurry of corners in the first 10 minutes. There were no real moments of alarm for the hosts, though, with keeper Steven Benda only called into action once to comfortably save Desire Segbe Azankpo’s low shot from a tight angle.

Town managed to quell the momentum for a time but there was real concern on the quarter-of-an-hour mark when Alex Iacovitti cushioned down a cross into the path of Mohammed Maouche in the box, but the Latics forward sent a first-time effort over the top under pressure from Mathieu Baudry.

The contest was 20 minutes old when Swindon supporters finally got a sight of what they craved. Striker partners Jerry Yates and Doyle combined after the hosts took a quick throw, but the latter could not quite jump high enough to meet a cross into the six-yard box cleanly and looped a header over visiting goalkeeper Zeus De La Paz’s crossbar.

That did not scare Oldham into retreating, though, and Benda was at full stretch to keep the score level soon afterwards, tipping a long-range effort from Jamie Stott over the top.

Swindon started to show signs of life after the half-hour mark passed and Doyle leapt well to flick on Rob Hunt’s ball from deep. Woolery gathered with his back to goal and managed to turn his marker but only succeeded in blazing high and wide.

Jaiyesimi then fizzed a delivery across the face of goal that De La Paz gathered just ahead of the charging Yates.

The visitors were still threatening themselves and only a superb last-ditch challenge from Hunt denied David Jones a clear sight of goal inside the six-yard box.

The action was now flowing from end-to-end and referee David Rock played a good advantage when Woolery was sent tumbling on halfway. Jaiyesimi pounced on the loose ball and charged into the Latics box, only to be crowed out as he tried to shoot.

A breakthrough was looking ever more likely, and it finally arrived in the first of four additional minutes at the end of the first half – with Town the team to capitalise.

Michael Doughty played a delightful ball from deep to pick out Woolery’s run forward, and he rifled a firm shot past De La Paz from 12 yards to send the home side into the break in front.

Clear-cut chances were few and far between as the second half got under way and the hour mark had almost arrived before a genuine sight of goal arrived again.

It came Oldham’s way and was gilt-edged as substitute Felipe Morais whipped the ball across the face of goal to the back post where Iacovitti somehow failed to convert.

Anderson was introduced off the bench shortly afterwards as Jaiyesimi made way, and he almost made an instant impact. The Swindon substitute swung the ball into the box from the left, which narrowly eluded Yates’ desperate lunge with just De La Paz to beat.

The home side were on the attack again soon afterwards and De La Paz could not hold Doughty’s drive from just inside the box before Woolery’s follow-up was scrambled off the line.

That was Doughty’s last meaningful involvement as he was withdrawn in favour of Danny Rose for the final 10 minutes as Wellens attempted to shut up shop.

Doyle – seeking a goal in an ninth League Two game in a row – thought he had made the points safe with eight minutes to go when he lifted the ball over the advancing De La Paz after being played in by Anderson, only to be denied by the linesman’s flag for offside.

The woodwork then thwarted Doyle’s attempt to keep his scoring run going as he hit the bar with a delicate chip from the edge of the box.

However, the Irishman was not to be denied and his third chance in the space of three minutes was a telling one as he curled a delightful effort beyond the dive of De Laz Paz to kill off Oldham for good.

The Latics missed a golden opportunity to set up a nervy conclusion in the last of the 90 minutes as Iacovitti lashed over the top from 10 yards out when left unmarked.

Swindon would not switch off again, though, and calmly saw out stoppage time to keep their promotion push firmly on track.