Ian Holloway was ‘bored out of my tree’ as Swindon threw away two-goal lead

Ian Holloway blasted his promotion-chasing Swindon team for serving up “rubbish, nonsense, garbage” after they threw away an early two-goal lead to pick up their fourth draw in five games.

The Robins looked to be coasting after Ollie Palmer and Billy Bodin struck in the first 13 minutes.

But Kieran Green hit back before Danny Rose’s leveller from the spot four minutes before the break.

The point sees Swindon slip to second in the table.

Holloway, who watched from the stands after a previous booking, fumed: “I sat there bored out of my tree. If I was in a tree, I wouldn’t have even got down. I’d have been asleep.

“Awful. I let them have it at half time, made some substitutions, and we could have won the game in the end.

“But I don’t think we deserved to, if that’s how we think we’re going to win games by just trying to look good.

“That ain’t what I’m about, that didn’t look like my team, so I’m bitterly disappointed.”

Holloway blamed himself for not being in the dugout but then joked he wanted to be even further from the action: “If I could have got to my car, I’d have gone home.”

Palmer put Swindon ahead after seven minutes with a deft near-post header which crept in after glancing off the far post from James Ball’s flick-on from a long throw.

Six minutes later, Darren Oldaker found Billy Bodin lurking unmarked at the edge of the box and the striker hammered into the top of the net.

Grimsby halved the deficit when Charles Vernam fired a dangerous low cross in the 22nd minute for Kieran Green to jab in as the Robins’ backline became muddled.

The Mariners drew level four minutes before the break from Rose’s spot-kick after George McEachran was felled as the visitors piled on the pressure.

Palmer had a golden chance to restore the lead when Princewill Ehibhatiomhan slipped him through, but the veteran striker thumped over.

Ehibhatiomhan then fired at Richard O’Donnell’s legs before the keeper somehow kept out a Will Wright piledriver from 25 yards.

In the dying seconds, Grimsby substitute Jamie Walker volleyed over from 12 yards.

Mariners manager David Artell said: “We gave them two ridiculously soft goals from the first two set pieces of the game, and then we absolutely dominated the first half.

“But we were much the better team. I thought we dominated the game for large parts, against a decent team.

“A draw is a fair result.

“We’ve been good for a number of weeks without winning. I’m not worried.

“They are top of the table and they’ve only won one in five. That’s the kind of league it is this year.”