An inspired performance from Jack Bycroft saw Swindon Town keep their first away clean sheet since September with a 0-0 draw at Stockport County.

The first half saw plenty of chances at both ends, with Stockport largely controlling proceedings, but neither side was able to find the required finishing touch.

Stockport piled on the pressure after the break but multiple fine saves out of Bycroft saw Swindon walk away from the home of the league leaders with a rather fortunate point.

This was Town’s second consecutive league draw at this ground and the point moved them level with Tuesday night’s opponents Tranmere Rovers.

Gavin Gunning made five changes to his Swindon side, as Harrison Minturn came in for the injured Udoka Godwin-Malife. The suspended Saidou Khan and Sean McGurk dropped out for Jake Cain and Dawson Devoy, who came back in after being unavailable against his parent club last week. Zac Elbouzedi and Charlie Austin replaced Rushian Hepburn-Murphy and Aaron Drinan in the attack.

Stockport were finding space well early on. Inside two minutes Connor Lemonheigh-Evans pulled the ball back to Antoni Sarcevic and he had a shot charged down. Then again Myles Hippolyte got down the left and picked out Paddy Madden at the far post, who couldn’t keep his header down.

Swindon were still causing trouble of their own and sharp attacking play led to back-to-back corners after nine minutes. The second one fell to Jake Cain after Ben Hinchliffe was crowded in the six-yard box, but with a crowd of bodies in front of him he could not find the net.

After a frustrating patch of play for the hosts, they coughed the ball up on the edge of their own box for Williams Kokolo. He darted down the side of the box and shot across the ‘keeper, his effort was parried into the path of Zac Elbouzedi and with the goal gaping he struck the post. A huge opportunity passed up at the home of the league leaders.

The lax defending was contagious and at the other end, George McEachran and Frazer Blake-Tracy both left a ball for each other, allowing Hippolyte to steal in. He took a touch and looked to shoot, but Blake-Tracy recovered well and got between him and the goal.

Chances were falling at both ends, but being clinical was proving to be a very different task. Tanto Oloafe made a great run down the left and steered a cross into the near post area for Sarcevic, but a deflection took what would have been a certain goal behind for a corner.

Swindon never really cleared that corner and a long throw from Stockport landed at the feet of Lemonheigh-Evans on the top of the box, but yet another deflection was kind to Jack Bycroft to gather.

The sharp reactions of Bycroft kept Swindon level after 37 minutes when Swindon kept giving the ball back to Stockport in their own penalty area. It finally fell to Oloafe and he looked to shoot low, but Bycroft had gotten down quickly and his strong wrists pushed it away from danger.

-

Stockport came out and again had a big chance to take the lead as Swindon could not clear the ball on the left. A low ball into the six-yard box found Paddy Madden, but his shot was too close to Bycroft and he could tip over.

By the hour mark the pressure from the hosts was really beginning to ramp up and the crowd was becoming raucous. Spurred on by a string of corners.

One of those corners came to Madden at the far post and he nodded low into the bottom corner, only for Bycroft to fling himself across his line and his with his arm behind his body claw it out of the bottom corner and keep the scores level.

With County making all the running, Gunning switched around his shape as Tom Brewitt came off the bench, adding in a third centre-back and attempting to cajole his side further away from their own goal. The change began to free up room on the flanks, giving Kokolo some joy, but Hinchliffe was not really being tested.

Town could have even nicked all three points when Harrison Minturn was given the freedom of Edgeley Park as he ventured forward. His pass into Drinan was met first time and Hinchliffe had to be make a strong stop to deny him.

Stockport kept coming and had numerous opportunities to find a winner, but Bycroft stayed strong in goal. Making a big claim in the box after a dangerous cross from Lemonheigh-Evans and then saving from Odin Bailey’s free-kick inside the final ten minutes.

Ultimately, the point would matter far more for Stockport’s season than Swindon’s, but after weeks of wilting, Swindon came to the side that had been leading the league at kick-off and remained resolute.

SCFC starting XI: Hinchliffe, Touray, Byrne, Horsfall, Madden, Sarcevic, Powell, Hippolyte, Lemonheigh-Evans, Oloafe, Cass.

SCFC substitutes: Smith, Pye, Wootton, Richards, Bristow, Bailey, Johnson.

STFC starting XI: Bycroft, Blake-Tracy, McEachran, Elbouzedi, Glatzel, Cain, Kokolo, Devoy, McCarthy, Minturn, Austin.

STFC substitutes: Brann, McKirdy, Hepburn-Murphy, Brewitt, McGurk, Drinan, Aguiar.

Attendance: 9,389