SWINDON Town lost 2-0 away at Blackpool on Saturday as a double from CJ Hamilton saw the visitors lose top spot in League One.

Following an excellent display against Rochdale on the first day of the season, Swindon were never able to impose a similar level of control on Blackpool, who scored the first competitive goals of the campaign either side of half-time.

Hamilton opened the scoring prior to the break via a deflected shot that wriggled past Matej Kovar before adding to his tally with a similar strike three minutes into the second half.

Blackpool should have made the points safe with a barrage of late opportunities, but the third goal never came and Town escaped with a two-goal defeat.

Wellens made one change from the opening-day domination over Rochdale. The returning Mathieu Baudry came in for Akin Odimayo, who sat the game out with a groin injury.

New signings Jonathan Grounds and Joel Grant found a spot on the bench alongside Matt Palmer, despite apparent interest from Wigan over his services.

Town started confidently at Bloomfield Road and found a couple of early chances to break that ended in disappointment.

On one such occasion, Diallang Jaiyesimi received a high boot to the face from Grant Ward in which the host midfielder was booked early on.

The first chance of the game came in the 13th minute as Town scrambled possession back in midfield before Jack Payne found Jonny Smith out on the right wing.

The winger squared his opposite number up before curling a left-footed effort a pencil's width wide of the post.

The first 45 continued to be a cagey affair in which Blackpool failed to create much of meaning.

When they did, striker CJ Hamilton found space down the right side of the box before squaring towards former Town man Jerry Yates.

However, an excellent covering run from Matt Smith stopped the move before Yates had chance to turn and shoot.

Sandwiched between a pair of overhit crosses for the hosts, Town forced another stop from Maxwell courtesy of Jaiyesimi.

Baudry clipped a ball into Tyler Smith down the right channel, but Smith's cross into the middle passed by those rushing into the box to help.

Jaiyesimi collected the ball at the far post, but his shot was comfortable for the Blackpool stopper.

Jonny Smith was replaced by Joel Grant around the half-an-hour mark after suffering from breathing problems, and the rest of the half was a struggle for the visitors.

Bez Lubala really should have opened the scoring when Town gave the ball away right outside their own box.

The ball dribbled to the Blackpool attacker, but his shot was extremely tame when unmarked and under no pressure.

In a brief good spell for Swindon, Tyler Smith almost gave the visitors the lead with 10 minutes until the break.

Jaiyesimi worked some space on the left before clipping a floated ball over to the back post.

Smith was unable to direct his header goalwards when reaching backwards, however.

But, following a powerful effort from Yates and a top clearance from Anthony Grant, Blackpool did eventually make the breakthrough.

CJ Hamilton worked space for a shot inside the box before slamming a shot in at Kovar’s near post shortly before the break.

And three minutes into the second half, history repeated itself as Blackpool doubled their lead.

Hamilton turned Hunt inside out down the right before driving into the middle and smashing the ball past a possibly-unsighted Kovar at his near post.

The second half continued in a fairly scrappy affair – with no chances for either team – before substitute Hallam Hope almost breathed life into a Swindon comeback with 20 minutes to play.

The winger received a pass on the edge of the box from Jaiyesimi before cutting in on his right and curling a shot off the inside of the post, along the line and away from danger.

Blackpool almost made it three in the 77th minute after Lubala was played in one-on-one down the left.

Only a fantastic save from Kovar denied the former Crawley Town striker wrapping the game up early.

The Czech goalkeeper had to be at his most alert moments later as a Matt Smith pass in midfield was intercepted, setting Hamilton free.

The striker was inches away from poking it past Kovar, but the Town stopper won the race to deny him.

With six minutes to play, Blackpool should have made it three once again, but a four-on-one opportunity was somehow wasted as Oliver Turton curled tamely at Kovar.

With Town’s goal continuing to live a rather charmed life, Blackpool hit the bar in the dying moments.

Ward clipped a ball to the back post for an on-rushing home attacker to volley goalwards.

Hitting the bar and bouncing away, the scoreline somehow stayed at just 2-0 when the referee blew the full-time whistle.