Simon Cox returned to the County Ground for the first time since his £2 million move to West Brom in last night's friendly but it was Town who made the most of the occasion.

Gordon Greer’s first half header gave Swindon a fully deserved win against The Baggies.

Town’s captain nodded in an Anthony McNamee corner midway through the opening period to give them an advantage they never looked likely to relinquish after running the Championship side ragged at times.

Strikers Billy Paynter and Berlin Ndebe-Nlome both went close for the hosts before half-time, with substitutes Lloyd Macklin and Jon-Paul McGovern spurning good second half chances.

Town keeper David Lucas was called into action inside the opening minute due to the sheer tenacity of Cox.

The front man chased down a lost cause on the touchline to disposses skipper Gordon Greer and fed Robert Koren.

From there, Craig Beattie was slipped in inside the box, but Lucas was quick off his line to smother the ball at Beattie’s feet.

Swindon hit back almost immediately when Michael Timlin beat the offside trap to latch on to Lescinel Jean-Francois’ long ball.

Timlin pulled it back into the middle where Billy Paynter let it run but Berlin Ndebe-Nlome, under pressure, fired wide.

West Brom should have opened the scoring on five minutes when Beattie fed the unmarked Filipe Teixeira on the right hand side of the box, but somehow the wide man pulled his effort the wrong side of the upright from close range.

Sean Morrison saw a weak header from a corner cleared off the line by Dwayne Samuels as Town attacked with real purpose in a frantic opening spell.

On 20 minutes a well-worked corner saw Jean-Francois head over Jonathan Douglas’ corner, while two minutes later Paynter was inches away from curling a 25-yard effort past Dean Kiely in the Baggies goal.

And Greer’s half volley from Anthony McNamee’s flag kick forced a fine save out of Kiely as Town piled on the pressure.

Swindon eventually took the lead they deserved in the 33rd minute when McNamee’s near post corner was met by Greer, and the captain’s angled header across goal found its way into the top corner.

Danny Wilson’s side continued to attack after the restart and Morrison sent a header from McNamee’s centre straight into the arms of Kiely on 56 minutes.

In the 66th minute Beattie curled a 20-yard free-kick wide as West Brom struggled to penetrate an impressive Town defence.

Sub Macklin almost doubled the lead, but saw his rising snap-shot from the edge of the area just fly over Kiely’s cross bar.

After barely having a sniff all night, Cox was suddenly handed a glorious chance to level things up in the 78th minute.

Morrison’s header back towards his own goal was weak and the former County Ground hero nipped in to dink the ball over the onrushing Lucas, but it ended up dropping the wrong side of the woodwork.

Lucas saved well with his legs to deny Beattie in the 83rd minute and McGovern should have sealed it when he met Callum Kennedy’s deep cross unmarked at the far post but the substitute volleyed into the floor from around seven yards out and his strike bounced over.

With three minutes remaining summer signing Scott Cuthbert was given his first action of pre-season, having recovered from a hernia operation and the former Celtic man helped ensure Swindon recorded an impressive victory.

Swindon Town: David Lucas; Kevin Amankwaah (Scott Cuthbert 87), Gordon Greer (c), Sean Morrison, Lescinel Jean-Francois; Alan O’Brien (Mark Marshall 64), Jonathan Douglas, Michael Timlin, Anthony McNamee (Callum Kennedy 75); Billy Paynter (Jon-Paul McGovern 79), Berlin Ndebe-Nlome (Lloyd Macklin 64). Subs not used: Phil Smith, Nathan Thompson, Jerel Ifil, Craig Easton.