Swindon gained the derby day West Country bragging rights after they beat league leaders Forest Green 2-0 thanks to second-half goals from Harry McKirdy and Tyreece Simpson.

Swindon, who were missing five players on international duty, started brightly and thought they had nosed ahead on 15 minutes when Luke McGee spilled McKirdy’s strike and Simpson put the loose ball into the net – but the goal was disallowed for a foul.

Jack Aitchison should have put Forest Green in front on 53 minutes but he shot wide with just Lewis Ward to beat.

Two minutes  later McKirdy volleyed in from a Ben Gladwin cross – the first goal Rovers had conceded in more than nine hours.

McKirdy should have made it 2-0 but he headed wide from Jack Payne’s cross.Ward saved a Matt Stevens strike as Rovers looked for an equaliser, he did even better to keep out a deflected shot from Jake Young and the keeper then denied Josh March from point-blank range.

Swindon made it 2-0 with nine minutes to go when a through ball from McKirdy was converted by Simpson, who is on loan from Ipswich.

In the fourth minute of stoppage time, Ward fouled March to concede a penalty, but Ward saved March’s spot kick.