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After originally agreeing to join the Town on a loan deal in November 2011, only for the move to be rejected by the Football League as it wasn't registered with them until seven minutes after the transfer deadline, Benson agreed a permanent two-and-a-half year deal the following month - moving to the County Ground from Charlton when the window reopened in January, in an exchange deal with Leon Clarke. Lacking match fitness, Benson made his debut as a second half substitute with the Town drawing 0-0 with AFC Wimbledon - two minutes after his introduction, Swindon took the lead and they went on to win 2-0, with Benson making a good initial impression with his aerial ability and his running the channels, though Town boss Paolo di Canio referred to him as "Mr Rustyman" after he had squandered a couple of chances. The following weekend though, Benson made even more of an impact - his image plastered all over the back pages of the Sunday papers after scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Premier League Wigan - though in truth, the goal had more than an element of luck - Benson deflecting Matt Ritchie's long range effort past keeper Ali Al-Habsi. After making his full debut in a 2-1 win at Rotherham in mid-January, Benson marked his full home league bow with the winning goal in a drab victory over Macclesfield - his arrival in the Town team at the beginning of a superb ten match winning run in the league. The striker hit a purple patch in February - hitting seven goals in eight league matches, notching his hundredth career goal in the process, and winning the League Two Player of the Month award. It was also a month in which Swindon won through to the Johnstone's Paint Trophy final, and moved to the top of the League Two table. Boss di Canio soon stated that he wouldn't swap Benson for any other striker in the division. After defeat at Wembley though, di Canio rested the front man for the first time since his arrival, with Benson suffering from a slight neck injury, he was benched for the visit of Bristol Rovers - when he returned to action for the busy start to April, Benson netted a crucial winner at Morecambe. Over the coming weeks, Swindon edged nearer to promotion with victories over Northampton and Plymouth - but when promotion was finally assured despite a 3-1 defeat at Gillingham, Benson was kept out with a tight hamstring. He made up for it the following weekend though - hitting two goals in a 5-0 demolition of Port Vale that wrapped up the League Two title, goals that also took him clear as the Town's leading League goalscorer of the season, until Alan Connell also netted his eleventh of the campaign with five minutes remaining. PLAYING RECORD:
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date of birth age
usual positions centre forward youth career senior career |
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