IN THIS week, when surely even the most committed follower of the ‘beautiful game’ must have had their faith tested by events away from the pitch, probably the last thing Swindon Town devotees needed was a third straight home defeat to chew on.

Notwithstanding the bizarre sight of an England manager self-destructing without having taken charge of a game in his home country, the sport’s at-times tawdry financial affairs were again being put under the microscope in what is becoming something of a Groundhog Day scenario.

Those attending the County Ground know that feeling.

The eerie parallels between the 2015-16 campaign and the current one just keep on coming – and not in a good way.

Last season, a couple of promising early results in front of the home faithful were soon largely consigned to mere distant memories as a hat-trick of home defeats took the wind out of the sails, amplified the murmurs of discontent in the stands and left those at the centre of the storm struggling for answers.

For last weekend’s uplifting performance and result at Oldham, read the 3-1 result at Crewe early last September – a rare beacon of light.

For chastening County Ground experiences such as Bury, Bristol Rovers and Northampton, read the reverses to Burton Albion and Colchester at around the same point 12 months ago.

You can even throw in a 2-0 defeat at Oxford – although at least last season’s was in the Football League Trophy rather than a league game and Town have something of a second chance to make amends for their recent humbling in next week’s EFL Trophy tie.

So it must have been with a sense of trepidation that supporters retreated from the scene of Tuesday’s setback, Northampton administering the latest body blow to confidence and, yes, faith.

Luke Williams diagnosed the problem as a lack of conviction in Town’s defending but, returning to the theme of last season reveals that they have conceded no more goals in the first 10 matches of the current campaign as the last – two fewer in fact.

Contrast that with the other end of the pitch where Williams’ men have scored 11 league goals to last season’s 16 while, by this time last term, strikers Nicky Ajose, Jonathan Obika and Wes Thomas had knocked in five between them, the forwards this term have only bagged two - both from Obika.

The belief of Williams and Lee Power in their approach, tactics and ‘Swindon Town way’ appears unshakeable, some might say to the point of hair-tearing stubbornness.

It is not unreasonable to suggest that is not shared by many of those parting with their cash week in, week out.

For them, it seems as though that with Swindon Town, the law of diminishing returns applies.