Ian Holloway hails ‘big tick for character’ as Swindon battle back to draw

Ian Holloway praised the character of his Swindon side as they twice came from behind to share the spoils with Notts County.

Aaron Drinan struck twice to continue his rich vein of form, taking his tally to 10 for the season, after County had led through first Conor Grant and then Alassana Jatta.

“I’m really pleased in the end that we’ve shown the character to come back twice,” said Holloway.

“If there was going to be a winner, I think it was going to be us and I think that shows good character, but it’s not what I would have liked.

“I had a target of three points and next Saturday to get through the 30-point margin as quick as we can, but we’ll keep going and I think that’s a big tick in the box for character.”

Holloway said of Drinan: “He can score anywhere, what he has got is movement and as long as he keeps moving, he will score goals.

“He is unstoppable the way he runs, the way he’s enjoying his game, he’s looking outstanding, there’s no stopping him.”

The Irishman’s equaliser was supplied by substitute Paul Glatzel and Holloway said of his replacements: “Luckily for me the substitutes who came on freshened it up a bit, and I think if anyone was going to score at the end it was us and not them and that’s a point – last year I think we would’ve lost that.”

The result, which hung in the balance for the duration of the game, takes Swindon to within a point of League Two leaders Walsall.

County hit the front after only three minutes as Grant, on his return to the side, pounced on a loose ball inside the area which Swindon failed to clear.

The Robins equalised in the 19th minute through Drinan, the league’s top scorer, after Finley Munroe’s cross deflected kindly into his path.

Jatta spurned a golden opportunity to put County ahead on the stroke of half-time, firing over the bar from inside the goalmouth. However, the striker made no mistake in the 62nd minute as he calmly finished from Grant’s cross.

However, Drinan snatched a point for Swindon in the 78th minute, getting a touch to Glatzel’s delivery to steer the ball home via a post.

Notts County boss Martin Paterson said: “I believe it’s two (points) dropped; there’s a bit of me that’s really disappointed by not winning here tonight.

“I thought we had moments and good control in the second half where we should take the game away from them and create more opportunities and finish.

“This group is improving and I’m really pleased with them, proud of them on a lot of things, but we need to keep getting better.

“We’ve come to Swindon and we’re disappointed by not winning, and I’m okay for them to bottle that up.”