Ian Holloway hails Fletcher Holman’s impact in Swindon’s comeback win

Ian Holloway praised super sub Fletcher Holman for inspiring his stuttering Swindon side back to winning ways against Walsall.

Jamie Jellis put fellow play-off chasers Walsall ahead in the 66th minute, but Holman turned the match after levelling late on and then setting up Aaron Drinan for the last-gasp winner in the 2-1 triumph.

Seconds before his goal, the former Wolves striker, 21, had badly shanked a golden chance and Holloway praised him for having the guts to not shrink and win the match.

Holloway said: “His volley was horrendous. He panicked. Most of the time that will kill a young fella. He will then be useless after that.

“So to have that character to be able to do that to get the equaliser, and then also have that brilliant mind to square it after Drinan had hammered him the other day for not squaring it. So did I.”

The result puts Town two points off second spot after a patchy run of form with just two wins in the previous eight games.

Holloway said: “A club the size of us, we need to sort ourselves out and get promoted. I am embarrassed we’re in the second division, and if that puts extra pressure on me, I don’t care.

“So I’m putting pressure on these lot. I want them on that wall (of honours) for the rest of history. That’s all that matters to me. And if I don’t get it this year, I have failed. That’s a fact.

“It’s the first time we’ve had to win a game and we actually won it. So that’s massive. And we came back from being behind and we weren’t playing that well, but we managed to do it.”

Jellis put the Saddlers ahead with a delicate touch from Aaron Loupalo-Bi’s cross which crept in at the far post.

When Michael Olakigbe burst down the right wing and found Holman the Robins looked certain to level, but the former Wolves man volleyed well wide.

He made amends when he raced after a long throw from goalkeeper Connor Ripley amd bore down on goal, slotting in the far corner with nine minutes left.

In the second minute of added time, Holman was sent through again and unselfishly teed up Drinan for a tap-in to lift Swindon to sixth.

Walsall manager Darren Byfield said: “Two individual mistakes have cost us. It’s a cruel game, football, and we have to make sure we’re fully concentrated from the start right to the end.

“I am gutted because today I was really proud of them. But we have to realize we have to see these games through.”

The Saddlers are 12th and six points adrift of the play-off spots.

Byfield added: “I have to pick them up. That’s my job.”