TOWN kicked off October with the signing of Momar Bangoura on a short-term deal before they suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Blackpool as a first half Mark Cullen goal saw Swindon slip to 17th place.

Cooper was able to turn his attentions away from the league and back onto the Johnstones’ Paint Trophy against old rivals Oxford United just three days later but it brought no solace.

Both sides were greeted by an electric atmosphere at the Kassam Stadium and when Jordan Turnbull saw red for his kick in the 32nd minute the tie swung in favour of the hosts, with Kemar Roofe scoring either side of the break.

Henrik Ojamaa was remembered for coming on as a second-half substitute in the match before being subbed back off 10 minutes before the end, with Bangoura also making a rare appearance from the bench.

That was followed by a 2-1 defeat at home to Peterborough United before Cooper took his side to the Den for what was to be his last game in charge.

Turnbull’s suspension saw Town bring in Bristol City defender Adam El-Abd on loan along with the return of Ben Gladwin from Queens Park Rangers, but first-half goals from Lee Gregory and Aiden O’Brien for Millwall condemned Swindon to their third-straight defeat, leaving them outside the relegation zone on goal difference only.

Cooper was dismissed that evening with Lee Power taking the unusual step of putting himself in caretaker charge.

Power, who went into the Oldham Athletic game with an unbeaten managerial record after his short spell in charge of Cambridge United, could not prevent another defeat as Danny Philliskirk scored with just three minutes remaining to secure a heart-breaking 2-1 victory at the County Ground.

The Town chairman picked up his first points in the next game as late goals from Ben Gladwin and Nicky Ajose claimed a 2-2 draw against Coventry City.

Power’s third and final game in charge ended in disappointment as Francisco Junior’s 90th-minute goal for Wigan stretched Swindon’s run without a win to double figures.

As promised, former Town midfielder Martin Ling took over from Power on Tuesday, November 3, ahead of the trip to Rochdale in the FA Cup first round.

However, Ling’s presence in the stand at Spotland could not inspire the team as Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s hat-trick secured Rochdale’s passage into the next round.

After a full week’s training with the squad, Ling looked like he had turned a corner as he was able to muster a first win in 13 as goals from Raphael Branco and Nicky Ajose secured a 2-1 win over Scunthorpe - a win that lifted Town out of the relegation zone.

The revival was short-lived however, as Ling saw the scale of the task at hand when his side were thumped 5-1 away to Fleetwood.

Town had three days to lick their wounds before they faced high-flying Walsall at the County Ground and Louis Thompson stunned the visitors when he popped up in the last minute to fire the winner from outside the box.

That win gave Town, who brought in Jamie Calvin on a free the same week, their confidence back and it showed as they signed off November with a thumping 4-0 win in Spireites world as an Ajose brace helped to see off Chesterfield.