Grimsby Town were heavily beaten by league leaders Swindon Town at Blundell Park.
The Mariners had no answer to their visitors, who played with the confidence expected of a team who have now won their last six games.
There was an element of fortune in both of Swindon’s first-half goals as Eoin Doyle gave them the lead aided by a mistake by Town keeper James McKeown, before Jerry Yates’ shot appeared to take a heavy deflection to double their lead.
But Yates’ second of the game seven minutes after half-time was brilliantly crafted and put the result beyond doubt.
Just one change was made to the Town starting XI after the goalless draw with Cheltenham last time out, as Charles Vernam was recalled early from his loan at Chorley to take a place in the side. He replaced Ahkeem Rose, who dropped to the bench.
McKeown started in goal, with Elliott Hewitt, Harry Davis, Luke Waterfall and Liam Gibson forming the defence.
Harry Clifton, Jake Hessenthaler and Elliott Whitehouse were the midfielders, with Vernam and Matt Green either side of James Hanson in attack.
Rose was joined on the bench by Luke Hendrie, Ethan Robson, Max Wright, Moses Ogbu, Sam Russell and Mattie Pollock.
Swindon were looking to continue a fine run of form that saw them sitting on top of the League Two table at kick-off, having won each of their previous five games.
The division’s top scorer Doyle led the line for Richie Wellens’ side, while former Town loanee Diallang Jaiyesimi was among the substitutes.
The first corner of the afternoon came when Davis had to clear a low cross from midfielder Michael Doughty but the ball from the flag was headed away by Hanson.
Grimsby’s first attack of note led to a cross from Hessenthaler on the left but it was just too high for Whitehouse.
The Mariners fell behind on 11 minutes when a header from DOYLE looked like it had been caught by McKeown but the keeper slipped and the ball went over the line, with the assistant referee indicating for a goal before the loose ball was put into the net.
Doughty tried to catch McKeown out from a free-kick three minutes later but the keeper was alive to the danger and this time, made a comfortable catch.
A foul on Hessenthaler by Anthony Grant gave Town a free kick on the halfway line on 18 minutes but they were unable to create a chance from it as Hewitt’s ball to the edge of the penalty area was cleared.
Another free-kick, this time from Hessenthaler on the right, was collected by Swindon keeper Steve Benda.
The game’s second goal came on 24 minutes and saw Town fall further behind. Again, there was a huge element of good fortune in favour of the visitors as YATES’ low shot was deflected past McKeown and into the corner of the net.
Swindon were now dominating the game and they won a corner on the left on 29 minutes, although a good header from Hanson got the ball clear. The visitors worked it back though and a foul on Jordan Lyden gave them a free-kick near the edge of the box, which led to Yates firing just over the bar.
A cross from Doyle on the right after a quickly-taken free-kick led to another corner but this time, Swindon were unable to create a chance from it.
Kaiyne Woolery saw a shot blocked after a quick break by the away side, with the Mariners getting the ball away for a corner, which was headed clear.
At the other end, Town had struggled to cause significant problems but a low cross from the right had to be cleared for a throw-in and a corner came soon afterwards, although the short-corner routine resulted in an offside decision against Hessenthaler.
Good pressure by Hessenthaler earned a corner on the left as the game moved into two added minutes but Waterfall failed to connect with a header and the ball went out for a goal kick.
No further chances came for either side before the half-time whistle, leaving Swindon in control at the break.
Rose was sent on in place of Green and Robson replaced Whitehouse as Mariners interim boss Anthony Limbrick made a double substitution before the restart.
An early free kick was headed wide by Waterfall, before the defender had to clear over his own bar at the other end after a cross was parried by McKeown.
Robson was spoken to by the referee after a late challenge on Grant, before Swindon made it 3-0 with a superbly crafted goal on 52 minutes. A neat build-up in and around the penalty area eventually led to YATES working the space to curl a low shot beyond McKeown and into the far corner of the net.
Doyle volleyed over the bar after being flagged offside as the visitors continued to attack, before a more promising spell for the Mariners saw Rose call keeper Benda into action as he dived to stop a low shot from 20 yards.
An opportunity for Town came when a poor kick by Benda fell for Rose but he was unable to work an opening for a shot and Hanson eventually sent a weak effort through to the keeper.
A Swindon corner from the left was caught by McKeown as he beat Doyle to the ball in the air.
Vernam was replaced by Wright on 65 minutes, before Hanson was fouled to give the Mariners a free kick inside the Swindon half. It came to nothing though as a foul on Benda brought the attack to an end.
Good play by Clifton and Wright led to a shooting opportunity for Rose on 71 minutes but his effort was blocked.
Yates volleyed over the bar at the near post at the other end on 81 minutes, before Jaiyesimi replaced Doyle three minutes later.
A foul by Davis on Yates gave Swindon a free kick around 30 yards from goal with three minutes to go but Doughty’s chipped delivery was headed clear by Waterfall.
Lyden was replaced by Danny Rose for the away side for the closing stages of the game, which was to include a minimum of six added minutes.
Davis did well to deny Doughty a shooting chance and get the ball away for a corner and after it was half-cleared, Rose sent a low shot just past the post from the edge of the box.
At the other end, a run by Rose saw him cut in from the right and win a corner but the ball from the flag was cleared.
A cross from Gibson was caught by Benda as the Mariners continued to search for a consolation goal.
Yates was replaced by Taylor Curran in the fourth of the added minutes as Swindon saw the remainder of the game out to collect all three points.
Town are next in action on Saturday, when they travel to Carlisle United.
Town: McKeown (c), Hewitt, Davis, Waterfall, Gibson, Hessenthaler, Whitehouse, Clifton, Vernam, Hanson, Green.
Subs: Russell, Pollock, Hendrie, Robson, Ogbu, Rose, Wright.
Swindon Town: Benda, Caddis, Hunt, Baudry (C), Fryers, Lyden, Woolery, Grant, Doughty, Yates, Doyle.
Subs: McCormick, Broadbent, Curran, Iandolo, Isgrove, Jaiyesimi, Rose.
Referee: Peter Wright
Attendance: 3723 (318)
Next Up: Carlisle United (A)
