THE fans played their part on Saturday as they answered calls to pack the County Ground with a healthy attendance.

Some 7,946 supporters turned out to see Swindon Town host the MK Dons in what had been billed as a vital step on the road towards League One survival.

With almost 1,000 more people in the ground than when Millwall visited a fortnight ago, the atmosphere in the run up to kick off was noisy and full of positivity.

Hundreds of red balloons were sent soaring into the air as the teams made their way onto the field.

But hopes of a win took a blow just before half time when a penalty put the visitors ahead.

The disappointment was compounded as news circulated around the ground that Swindon were the only club out of the bottom seven to be losing at the half way point.

With just five minutes to go and still losing by a goal to nil it looked as if the momentum of the past two weeks was about to be lost – fans began walking out of the ground looking less than impressed.

Barry Hunter, 57, from Haydon Wick said he disagreed with the game being billed as must win.

“I think it was more like must not lose,” he said.

“They huffed and puffed but to be honest it wasn’t there. We had a bit of a momentum coming into this one but we’re losing.

“At times the fans were a little bit quiet, just waiting for the team to excite them.”

A visiting MK Dons fan, who only gave his name as Richie, echoed those sentiments.

“If this was meant to be your big turnout then I don’t think much of it,” he said.

“We were singing that we thought we were in a library at one point.”

But the Town faithful soon proved they could make plenty of noise.

A Jonathan Obika strike after the 90 minute mark saw the home side pull level. A thundering roar from inside the ground left those who had made an early exit from their cars wishing they were still in their seats.

A 1-1 draw is how it ended and Town fans poured out of the stands with a mix of expressions on their faces – pleased it wasn’t a loss but frustrated that the fight to avoid relegation is still very much on.

Nigel Ross, 40, from Stratton, who brought his two boys to the game, felt disappointed after all the build-up.

“All week they’ve been saying we need to get behind them,” he said. “The fans did their bit, but the players didn’t do theirs.

“There’s no point playing in the last five minutes like against Millwall and today. Of course I want them to stay up, but sometimes you’ve got to earn it.”

Some fans were more positive as they left the ground, with a late leveller allowing them to see the positives in Town’s performance.

Charlotte Elcombe, from Stratton, said: “Good game overall, great to see a late equaliser. I thought Ince played really well, he stood out for me.

As for Town’s hopes in their remaining games, the 23-year-old added: “If they play like they did in the second half, I’m sure they’ll stay up.”

28-year-old Matt Reeve, from West Swindon, agreed that the Town players only really switched on after the break.

“We didn’t keep enough of the ball and needed to be smarter in possession,” he said.

“I thought we struggled a bit in the first half, but we came out stronger after half time.

“Overall, I think we deserved a point and we just managed to nick it at the end. Quite a good game – frustrating at times, but that’s what it’s all about.”

Martin Jenkinson, 41, added: “I was getting very nervous as time was getting on, but it’s good to get a point at the end of it.

“I’m very optimistic that they can stay up now. If we can just control the ball a bit better in the box we may have a chance of getting some goals and winning a few.”

Next weekend will see Town play two games in four days starting with a Good Friday clash against mid-table AFC Wimbledon.

With just four games left in the season every performance is crucial and no doubt the club will be looking for Swindon fans to keep the faith and pack out the County Ground once again for another survival nail-biter.