Harry Smith scored twice inside ten minutes to help earn Swindon Town their third win of pre-season 3-1 away against Melksham Town.

After two friendlies in which Swindon had taken a while to get going, this one burst into life right from the off as after three minutes Ralph Graham stole in behind to clinically tuck beyond Jack Bycroft with Melksham’s first real touches on the ball.

Town did not stand on ceremony and Tunmise Sobowale got on the ball and tried to slip a ball in behind straight from kick-off, a defender got a deflection that took it away from his teammate and Smith was there to fire home his first goal since returning to the club.

After Marcus Bignot had admitted he was disappointed not to get on the scoresheet a week ago, Smith wasted no time writing his name on it again five minutes later. A Swindon corner saw Trialist B rise highest and after a quick goalmouth scramble, the big striker poked beyond the goalkeeper.

Swindon were playing some riveting stuff early on as Aaron Drinan found Jake Cain on the edge of the box. He took the shot on the half-volley and forced the goalkeeper into a magnificent save.

On a clear evening, there was almost a bolt from the blue as a Melksham defender took the ball down 30 yards from goal and slammed an effort that had Bycroft sprawling and slammed against the connection.

Swindon were an inch from extending their lead further as a flowing move cut through the middle of Melksham and concluded with Drinan clipping a pass to Ollie Clarke. His diving header was blocked on the line between a combination of goalkeeper and defender.

Smith could even have had a hat-trick five minutes after the break when hard work from Drinan and Cain saw the ball roll to across him with the goal at his mercy, but he decided to be forgiving and turned wide.

The striker’s irritation would have grown further when a 30-pass move concluded with Saidou Khan slipping him through only to be halted by the outstretched wrist of the goalkeeper.

After changing the whole team on the hour mark, and almost immediately Dylan Mitchell create space for himself in the box before seeing a snapshot blocked. Then a slick move has Jaxon Brown find the run of Mitchell at the near post but he sent it wide.

The younger-looking Swindon side kept finding space as Rosaire Longelo beat his marker all ends up down the left and flashed in a low cross for Brown, but his effort was comfortably saved.

As the game was coming to a close, Joel McGregor won possession on the halfway line and motored forwards before sweating the ball across the goalkeeper to give Paul Glatzel an open net to tap his fourth goal of pre-season into.

STFC first half XI: Bycroft, Sobowale, Johnson, Wright, Khan, Clarke, Smith, Trialist A, Cain, Drinan, Trialist B.

STFC second half XI: Evans, Ofoborh, Glatzel, Longelo, Mitchell, Dworzak, Minturn, McGregor, Trialist C, Brown, Hart.