Derry give credit to Swindon

Notts County boss Shaun Derry conceded that Swindon were a class above his side after the Magpies slipped to a 3-0 defeat.

The Robins were too quick and too clever as Andy Williams struck twice before Massimo Luongo added a third goal to seal victory. The win is Swindon's fifth in a row in the league while Derry's side, who had Liam Noble sent off in the second-half, fall out of the play-off spots. And after witnessing Swindon's warning shot to their promotion rivals first hand, Derry admitted he had not seen a better side in the league. "We are disappointed. It has been and I am hoping it will still be a successful season. We had to take our medicine. They are the best team I've seen at this level," said Derry. "They played fantastically well, but they were aided too which is disappointing. We've had them watched and were fully aware of the capabilities of the team. "Sometimes you just have to take your medicine and it burns, of course. They played really well and we didn't play as well as we could do. "But that is where we are. I want people to have a sense of realism as to where we were this time last season to where we are now. "We are competing with some big clubs at this level. We are just outside the play-offs and if people were to be told that a year on from being 10 points adrift at the bottom we'd be challenging, I think everybody would take that. "I certainly would and I was just disappointed there was a nervousness which seemed to escalate throughout the afternoon." Swindon stay second in League One with the victory, a point behind table toppers Bristol City. And boss Mark Cooper was delighted with the professional way his side dispatched the Magpies. "I thought we played particularly well again, we played some good football and scored some good goals," he said. "We looked a not bad team and the most pleasing thing was that the game looked as if it could get out of control. But we kept our discipline and kept trying to play football. "We created numerous chances in the first half and sometimes it can come back to bite you on the backside, but fortunately we took three of them. We could have scored a few more, although Notts County rallied well with 10 men. "I'm just pleased with the three points. It was nice to put the game to bed early on in the afternoon. "I know they were reduced to 10 men but it was a difficult one as he sent the man off, but then gave Notts the free-kick. It was all a little bit confusing."