The result may have gone against them, but a gutsy effort from the Whites ensured champions Croft had to fight every inch of the way to maintain their 100 per cent record in all competitions this season.
While it cannot be said that the visitors did not deserve to return to Swindon with three more points under their belts, Colts can hold their heads high after bettering the scoreline from the teams’ previous meeting and limiting their illustrious opponents to a handful of clear-cut chances.
Croft were strong, well-organised and never allowed the hosts time on the ball, with every player understanding his role in the team. Colts knew keeping them at bay for as long as possible would be key but conceded a penalty in the fourth minute and were left with a mountain to climb when it was slammed past Max in confident fashion.
A heavy, unpredictable playing surface helped neither team in their attempts to produce flowing football and opportunities at either end were at a premium.
Colts opted to run into trouble too often, finding a wall of blue and red shirts in their way when there were better options waiting for a pass.
Their best chances of an equaliser came before the break, with Luke S flicking a header across goal from Toby’s corner and Brandon M seeing a shot deflected into the side-netting after good approach play from Liam and Matthew, who stuck gamely to a very difficult task in the centre of midfield.
George and Liam used their quick feet to test the visiting defence, while Callum, Luke V and Toby worked hard on the flanks to ensure Croft were unable to profit out wide.
But it was the collective defensive effort that really caught the eye, with Bradley excelling on the left of a back three, chasing back to make vital tackles and getting the ball forward well whenever he was in possession. Tom recovered from an early injury setback to produce a typically strong display on the right and Luke S was a solid and assured presence in the centre.
Croft doubled their advantage ten minutes into the second half with a clinical close-range finish following a rare lapse by the Colts and later hit the post. Max was left helpless on both occasions but showed a safe pair of hands in the face of some accurate shooting from distance.
Efforts from Luke S and Callum cleared the crossbar as Colts tried to fashion a response. Although they drew a blank, they can take great heart from their display against a side who have won the double in each of the last two years.
Losing to them is absolutely no disgrace. Valuable lessons will have been learned from such a tough assignment and the challenge for the Colts is to use those to their advantage in the remainder of their league and cup fixtures this term.
MOM: Bradley.