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Graham Turner's men had another game of two halves as they put the lid on a paint pot tilt for this season.
The Bulls deployed in a 4-4-2 formation, with Ashikodi and Chadwick taking the forward roles with Done and Johnson on the wing. Clint Easton took an unfamiliar central role with Beckwith restored to the defence and Samson the only fit keeper.
In the first five minutes Ashikodi flashed a shot wide after outmuscling a defender, while Easton had a shot from the edge of the area blocked shortly after but it was an all too familiar defensive error that gifted a corner to Swindon that was headed wide. The Bulls pushed on with Ashikodi again using his body to force his way onto the ball in the box before a jabbed clearance and a couple of lofted balls had the keeper stretching to clear before Chadwick had opportunity to pounce.
Ashikodi and Johnson swapped passes on the quarter hour to allow Johnson to force a diving save from the keeper, and shortly after the Robins defence - having failed to stop him legitimately - blatantly pushed Ashikodi off the ball. The resulting free kick from Easton was narrowly flicked wide by Beckwith with the keeper beaten.
Just before the half hour we were treated to the bizarre sight of no less than four Swindon players chasing a rampant Ashikodi down the right wing and, as previously, they could only take him down by foul means ending his game in the process with an ankle injury. Andy Williams took his place and the game died down briefly.
With Phil Smith already considered 'dodgy' understudy Peter Brezovan did little to reassure fans when a powerful Matt Done shot brought a - usually comfortable - save that he managed to juggle over the line. He ran 40 yards to protest but the goal was already given and the Bulls were encouraged to test him again several times in quick sucession. Swindon tried to push back but the efforts were wayward and - in one case - purely vertical. Corners and crosses were cleared clinically with the early nerves gone.
However the half ended in a tale of two chances - a swift free kick left Williams clear but, after speeding past the keeper, he left himself too little an angle and the ball was swept off the line. Then, in the second of the one advertised minute of injury time, Simon Cox fired home a loose ball with Samson left rooted to send the sides in 1-1 at half time.
The second half started evenly - Williams having the ball nicked just as he was priming to fire, then a tackle at speed preventing a one on one at the other end. Swindon fans celebrated wildly at one point a minute later only for the goal to be rightly ruled out after a crowd scene and the referee's whistle was becoming a constant fixture of the game. Both sides sensed blood, but their better efforts were deemed illegal.
Timlin blazed marrowly wide from distance on the hour, and the nerves started to rattle the Bulls defence again. A pair of Swindon corners did little to soothe as the second eventually found Cox again but a diving body deflected the shot high and wide, and the third corner was headed weakly into Samson's arms. Shortly after Paynter blazed over from 20 yards and the game was turning towards the away side.
With the Bulls looking like penalties would be acceptable ball after ball was pumped aimlessly forward with little result. Ashikodi's physical runs seemed to be the only way through apart from the keeper's assistance, and neither seemed likely to reappear. Williams, however, got a lucky break to evade the defence but he chose the 30 yard spectacular rather than the assistance of his team mates and the chance was gone as soon as it appeared. Normal service was resumed soon after with Cox left with a free header on a drifted ball from 30 yards, but he missed from six to hoots of derision that briefly halted strong singing from the Meadow End.
With under ten minutes left Hudson-Odoi replaced the lively Done but his first action was to line up for kick off 40 seconds later when a long goal kick eventually found McNamee. His low cross found Peacock who drove home from ten yards. It was now time for the Swindon fans to make the noise as the game faded away to a finish.
Final Score Hereford United 1-2 Swindon Town.
