Swindon Town got their first away win since August as a clinical performance saw them win 4-3 away against Accrington Stanley.
Town had the lead at the break as Dan Kemp tucked home a penalty before Jake Young turned home a cross to give Swindon a commanding lead at the break.
Saidou Khan then scored a stunning third and Murphy Mahoney saved a penalty before Charlie Austin added a layer of gloss before Accrington almost turned it all around in stoppage time.
This was Town’s first win on the road since Forest Green Rovers in August and it takes them back into the play-offs after leapfrogging their hosts.
Michael Flynn opted for a completely unchanged line-up, choosing to retain faith with the side that had ended a run of nine games without a win across all competitions against Mansfield Town.
After six minutes Kemp skipped down the left side of the box and was chopped down by Jay Rich-Bagheulou right on the edge of the penalty area. The referee gave a free-kick, which Kemp backheeled to give Young a better angle, but his fierce strike went high and wide of the far post.
Udoka Godwin-Malife misjudged a ball forward and allowed Shaun Walley to get in behind him. The midfielder knocked the ball back to Josh Andrews and he drilled a shot towards the bottom corner, forcing Mahoney to get down rapidly to tip it wide of the post.
Godwin-Malife then caused havoc at the other end as he drove forward and played Kemp into the area, as he chopped to make room for himself, he was brought down, and the referee awarded a penalty. Kemp picked himself up and fired his penalty up the middle and into the back of the net.
After Swindon had taken the lead, Accrington took the initiative in the game and had Town forced back with limited opportunities to create chances of their own. Despite a handful of defensive slip-ups, they were able to prevent Mahoney having a huge amount to do.
Then with 31 minutes on the clock, Remeao Hutton raced into room on the right and rolled the ball across the face of goal for Young to lash home from ten yards out. That goal made it seven goals in six games for the man on loan from Bradford City.
Five minutes before half-time, Godwin-Malife was caught out as he left a ball to run behind him, but Brad Hills was rampaging forward and latched onto it. Mahoney was alert and came racing out, throwing himself at the ball and was able to prevent Hills from getting a shot off.
Harrison Minturn did well to win the ball back in his own half, but then hesitated on the ball and allowed Stanley to win it back. Nolan was quickly picked out on the right side and he raced towards the goal and took aim, Williams Kokolo managed to get back and fling his leg in front of the shot.
In first-half stoppage time Godwin-Malife was again robbed in his own half, this time by Shaun Whalley, he raced into the area and scooped a shot into the side netting.
Two minutes into the second half Nolan clipped a cross towards the back post, Minturn was in position to prevent Andrews from getting on the end of it. However, he left the ball and so did Mahoney and it struck the inside of the post and bounced back out before Town could clear.
The hosts continued to cause trouble as the ball drifted over the head of Liam Kinsella and into the path of Matt Lowe. As he chested the ball down, Mahoney sprinted out to him and shut down his angle and got in the way of his shot.
Minutes later Whalley whipped in a cross from the left and Andrews rose highest in the middle, got the flick-on, but the ball dropped just wide of the back post.
Completely against the run of play, Swindon had a third on the hour mark. Hutton and George McEachran were looking to work something on the right and played the ball back to Khan. The midfielder chose to hit it from 25 yards out and the ball rocketed off his boot and into the top corner. A truly stunning strike.
Young could have put Town further ahead minutes later as Hutton found him at the far post, but his volley arced just over the crossbar.
Stanley had a penalty after 69 minutes for a handball in the area, Tommy Leigh blasted his penalty low to the right, but Mahoney got down really well to deny him.
Austin came on to add further icing to the cake as he finished off after Hutton had found him at the back post.
The hosts almost pulled it back in stoppage time when Korede Adedoyin finished low and Hills scored twice before Frazer Blake-Tracy had to clear off the line to keep hold of the points.
ASFC starting XI: McCracken, Rich-Baghuelou, Hills, Whalley, Lowe, Longelo, Nolan, Leigh, Andrews, Conneely, Adedoyin.
ASFC substitutes: McIntyre, Shipley, Mellor, B. Woods, Gubbins, Henderson, J. Woods.
STFC starting XI: Mahoney, Hutton, Blake-Tracy, McEachran, Young, Khan, Kemp, Kokolo, Godwin-Malife, Kinsella, Minturn.
STFC substitutes: L. Ward, Genesini, Dworzak, Shade, Austin, Brown, Hart.
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