Kabongo Tshimanga’s extra-time strike saw Swindon Town into the FA Cup Second Round with a 2-1 home victory over Colchester United.

The first period saw both sides show plenty of endeavour and willing but without the real quality to capitalise on it and make the game their own.

Harry Anderson drilled home as he scampered clear to give Colchester the lead but Joel McGregor slammed in an emphatic late equaliser and Tshimanga finished the job in extra time.

The Ian Holloway era commences with him guiding them into the second round of the FA Cup for just the fourth time in the last 13 years.

Naming his first team in charge, Ian Holloway made three changes, one of which was enforced due to the suspension for Grant Hall. Harrison Minturn, Miguel Freckleton, and Kabongo Tshimanga all came into the side as the new boss looked to shake up the formation.

The new manager’s talk of intensity and desire to attack made its way from the press conference to the pitch straight away. The aggressive line-up swiftly pushed Colchester backwards and squeezed them to create pressure.

Tunmise Sobowale and George Cox were both getting very high and had early crosses into the middle for the three strikers to attack. The U’s did not look one bit comfortable but were just about able to get through it unscathed.

It was not entirely serene as after 11 minutes Cox’s throw put Freckleton under pressure and he had his pocket picked by Lyle Taylor. The striker whipped in a quick cross that Harry Anderson charged onto but could only send high and wide from the top of the box.

This moment seemed to dampen the energy that Swindon had started with. All of a sudden it was the blue and white shirts with their chests pumped out and streaming forwards. They had a series of set pieces that didn’t come to a lot but had Town pushed back.

Inside 20 minutes Colchester had to clear one off the line as Ollie Clarke reversed a pass into the path of Cox. He drilled a ball through the six-yard box, and it took a touch that had it rolling for the bottom corner before Ellis Iandolo got back to hook it away.

They had another big chance as Cox’s through ball was misjudged by Tom Flanagan. This allowed Tshimanga to steal in behind and lift the ball over the onrushing Matt Macey but it landed on the roof of the net.

In stoppage time Clarke had the ball in the back of the net with a header from a fine late run. A slick move had Town work the ball well down the right to set up their captain, but the assistant referee had his flag up to disallow it for offside.

The break brought a change in system from Holloway as Nnamdi Ofoborh replaced Freckleton to move to a 433.

Swindon retained their high-octane approach from the first half and had a few early flurries, notably with Sobowale and Drinan getting in down the right but the cross couldn’t find a red shirt in the middle.

A big moment arrived as again Swindon were given room on the right to send a cross into the middle. The ball came to Tshimanga 15 yards from, but his effort was too soft and straight at Macey.

Just as Swindon seemed to have the crowd getting up, Arthur Read played a defence-splitting pass to set Anderson away and he drilled a shot into the far bottom corner.

With 20 minutes remaining and nothing but a goal mattering, Holloway made a triple-dice roll. Sean McGurk, Joel Cotterill, and Danny Butterworth all came on to add a bit more creativity in wide areas but Colchester had already embarked upon slowing the game down at every juncture.

It was a different sub that got that vital goal as Tshimanga had a shot blocked but Swindon had the bodies forward to keep the chance alive. The ball fell to McGregor and he lashed a shot across goal and into the far corner.

In stoppage time, Smith played Tshimanga into the box. He took a touch to create space and fired at the corner but a defender flung themselves in front to deny a certain goal.

Town had another chance to win it as Cotterill played McGurk in behind but the onrushing Macey did really well to deny him. Extra time would have to decide it.

There were chances at both ends in extra time with Colchester millimetres from getting the winner when Jack Payne smashed a shot against the connection.

Less than two minutes into the second half of extra time, a long throw was flicked by Smith into Tshimanga. He rolled his defender and leathered the ball home from inside the six-yard box.

STFC starting XI: Bycroft, Sobowale, Wright, Clarke, Smith, Kilkenny, Freckleton, Tshimanga, Drinan, Cox, Minturn.

STFC substitutes: Barden, Delaney, Ofoborh, Cotterill, Glatzel, McGurk, Longelo, Butterworth, McGregor.

CUFC starting XI: Macey, Iandolo, Flanagan, Anderson, Payne, Gordon, McDonnell, Read, Hunt, Donnelly, Taylor.

CUFC substitutes: Smith, Kelleher, Goodliffe, Hooper, Scully, Egbo, Jay, Woodyard, Sandah.

Attendance: 4,855 (332 away).