Holloway admits frustration after Swindon Town beaten by 10-man Walsall

Boss Ian Holloway described as “bitterly frustrating” Swindon Town’s opening-day League Two defeat at Walsall.

The Robins suffered a 2-1 loss to the Saddlers at Bescot Stadium, despite having a man advantage for 69 minutes of the encounter.

Evan Weir’s free-kick had put Walsall in front before the Brandon Comley's 21st-minute red card for fouling Aaron Drinan as the last man.

Swindon levelled through a Will Wright penalty 11 minutes from time, but it was Walsall who grabbed a winner through Connor Barrett.

Holloway told the club website: “It’s bitterly frustrating. We had an extra man for a long period of the game and only drawn that being 1-1, having already been one down.

“They had something to protect and I thought they did that very, very well. There were lots of opportunities where we could have done better.

“I thought about putting my more attacking minds on to try to do that and unfortunately none of them did what I wanted to do, which was make the difference to win us the game, not just draw it.

“I felt we should have made us favourites to win the game then. That’s what bitterly hurts me, is when we’ve got an extra man we normally open people up.

“We then did but that wasn’t good enough. We should have not made a mistake because a point would have done against 10 men and it would have looked much better than it does now.”

Town’s opening home game of the League Two season comes against Cambridge United next Saturday (3pm).

(Picture: Swindon Town FC YouTube channel)