ALAN Pardew has two major problems he must fix at Saints – away form and defending set pieces.

Saints were plagued by both issues last season and, at Swindon last night, they once again reared their heads.

After a dismal display at Huddersfield on Saturday, the trip to the County Ground was a chance to regain some pride.

But Saints again turned in a below-par performance, leaving the thousands of travelling fans with a miserable journey home for the second time in four days.

After two well organised displays at home to start the season – against Millwall in the league and Northampton in the Carling Cup – Pardew will be frustrated by the pair of performances Saints have turned in away from St Mary’s.

It is difficult to understand quite why Saints look so disjointed on the road, yet much more cohesive at home.

Whatever the case, it is a major problem for Pardew – and one that was present throughout pre-season as well – especially as no mercy is given on the road in League One.

The other huge concern is still Saints’ inability to properly defend set pieces.

Swindon’s goal was a textbook display of how not to defend a corner.

Sean Morrison, probably the hosts’ tallest player, was left completely unmarked ten yards out, in the centre of the goal, to head the Robins in front.

Getting beaten in the air is one thing, but not tracking runners is quite another.

In truth, the scoreline should have been much worse.

There were numerous occasions when Saints left players free in the box and, if not for another brilliant Kelvin Davis display, things would have been much worse.

But there is no need for doommongering just yet.

Pardew’s influence was there to see in the first two games and, as time goes on, he will impose that further.

The signing of Dean Hammond will help and if Pardew can add one or two more he can really start to put his stamp on the team.

But for now Saints are still well short of where he wants them to be.

The opening minutes were a scrappy affair, but it was Saints who were under the most pressure.

Swindon took the lead in the ninth minute when, yet again, Saints were undone from a set piece.

Centre back Sean Morrison was left embarrassingly unmarked from Jon-Paul McGovern’s corner to head into the top corner from ten yards.

Saints’ first sniff came in the 15th minute when Matt Paterson got onto Jacob Mellis’ through ball ahead of Swindon keeper David Lucas.

Unfortunately, Paterson had to slide to reach it first and couldn’t get to his feet in time before it was cleared.

Saints were nearly two behind in the 23rd minute, as Anthony McNamee slipped a great ball into the box for Kevin Amankwaah, who cut inside Wayne Thomas and was only stopped from completing a simple finish by Olly Lancashire’s clearance inside the six-yard box.

Saints could have levelled three minutes later, as a slip in Swindon’s defence allowed in Rickie Lambert.

But his chip didn’t have enough on it to clear Lucas, who was stuck in nomansland, but managed to get a hand on it.

Lancashire nodded Adam Lallana’s deep corner back across goal in the 36th minute, but Wayne Thomas could only direct his header over.

Kelvin Davis produced a stunning close range save from Billy Paynter’s header in the 39th minute, after he got onto the end of McNamee’s cross from left.

Morgan Schneiderlin fired wide from the edge of the box a minute later, after Swindon failed to clear Lallana’s corner.

Neither side made any changes for the start of the second half.

Tope Obadeyi’s shot from close range was deflected over two minutes after the restart, as Swindon were the first to threaten.

Paterson latched onto a goal kick from Davis seconds later, but he got his attempted lob from the right all wrong and it went well wide.

Davis had to save well from another Paynter header in the 52nd minute, after he got onto the end of McGovern’s left wing cross.

The Saints keeper pulled off a brilliant diving stop to deny McGovern on the hour mark after he hit a vicious volley across goal.

Douglas was then left in acres of space at the back post from the resulting corner, only to be denied by Lloyd James’ block on the line.

Paynter was again somehow denied by Davis in the 66th minute, as his header at the near post was somehow kept out by Saints’ number one again.

A long throw in into the box eluded the entire Saints defence in the 73rd minute, but thankfully Paynter couldn’t flick the ball towards goal.

Douglas’ deflected shot from the left side of the box in the 76th minute had Davis beaten, but looped just over.

Substitute Oscar Gobern had a great chance at the back post with his first touch in the 81st minute, but made a hash of his shot.

Lambert had a chance from 25- yards with a free-kick seven minutes from time, but fired over.

He had an even better chance a minute from the end, with a free kick 20 yards out, but Lucas made an excellent save to his left to keep out the powerful effort.

Lallana weaved his way into the box in injury time, but Lucas palmed his effort away, as Swindon held on.