THE extent of Swindon Town’s relegation struggles were brutally exposed on Saturday as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Bury.

Whilst the result on paper does not look dreadful, a dubious penalty the only difference between the two sides at Gigg Lane on the day, it was the manner in which Town went down.

Town mustered up only two shots on Joe Murphy’s goal and despite having almost two thirds of the game to pull themselves at least level and avoid dropping into the clutches of the League One relegation places, there was a lack of urgency and determination that you would come to expect from a side fighting for their lives at the wrong end of the table.

It appeared from the outset that head coach Luke Williams was trying everything within his capabilities as he made three changes to the starting XI that faced Oxford United six days prior, with one being enforced less than an hour before the game.

Striker Luke Norris, who was on the original team sheet handed out at Gigg Lane, missed out on the game as he was replaced by Jermaine Hylton in the starting line-up, with Brandon Ormonde-Ottewill coming onto the bench.

Elsewhere, Rohan Ince was handed a first start for the club since his loan move from Brighton & Hove Albion, just two days before his court date, to bring a physical presence to the midfield as Yaser Kasim dropped to the bench, and Dion Conroy came into the line-up as Lloyd Jones made way, as not to go over the loan limit.

Jonathan Obika returned to the bench, having not featured for Town since last month's 1-1 draw with Shrewsbury Town at the County Ground.

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Swindon Town debutant Rohan Ince battles with Bury midfielder Andrew Tutte

It was a start to proceedings that was to be expected of two sides who find themselves at the wrong end of the league as there was a frantic nature, with little control being shown by either.

Town goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux had to have his angles spot on in the sixth minute when Reece Brown lined up a 30-yard free-kick, given away by Conroy, and his low driven effort flew just wide of the post, taking an advertising board with it.

With the hosts low on confidence, having recorded just one win in their last 20 league outings, which had seen them free-fall down the division, they were affording Swindon’s midfield three a lot of space on the ball, much to the annoyance of the of the home crowd.

Town looked to capitalise on the yardage afforded them in the 13th minute when Charlie Colkett was found alone on the edge of the Bury box but his curling cross at an angle could only be flicked over the bar by Ben Gladwin.

The hosts were playing with an unfamiliar back five, as they looked to match Swindon in formation, and tried to use the width that full-backs Taylor Moore and Greg Leigh gave them.

It was in the 16th minute when the latter was set away down the right and with Vigouroux in two minds as to whether he should come off his line or not, he decided to stay at home and did well to push the shot around his post for a corner that came to nothing.

Tom Pope was proving a nuisance for Town’s back line and a chance fell his way on the half-hour mark when Fankaty Dabo’s loose control with his chest was pounced on by the physical striker, but his poked effort went well wide of the goal.

When James Brophy turned a deep cross behind for a corner in the 36th minute, it seemed innocuous enough.

However, as the ball was delivered in by Jacob Mellis, referee Mark Brown blew his whistle and pointed to the spot, having judged that Raphael Branco had pulled the shirt of Pope, to all but determine the fate of the game.

Vaughan, fresh from his League One player of the month presentation the day before, stepped up and made no mistake as he slammed his effort straight down the middle to find the roof of the net.

Swindon went close to levelling matters towards the end of a poor first half when Conroy drove forward well and found Gladwin on the edge of the box.

Having taken a touch, the Queens Park Rangers loanee took aim but his dipping effort just cleared the crossbar of Murphy’s goal.

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Town's players show their bemusement as referee Mark Brown awards a spot-kick

Despite Town being a goal behind, there was little urgency from the visitors as they came out from the break, content in playing free-kicks inside the opposition half short and failing to flood the box with bodies when the ball was played wide.

Just shy of the hour-mark, Williams looked to inject some much-needed life into Town’s forward line with the arrival of Obika for Hylton.

However, it was Vaughan who looked to double his tally in the 62nd minute as he drove at the Town box before firing just over Vigouroux’s bar.

Swindon were presented a rare sight of goal in the 66th minute when James Brophy was bundled to the floor as he cut inside from the left wing, just 21 yards out from goal.

With a wealth of talent capable of taking a set-piece in the Town midfield, it was striker Nicky Ajose, who had been starved of opportunities in front of goal all afternoon, who took responsibility and after planting the ball down purposefully, what followed failed to live up to the build-up as the ball continued to soar over the wall and crossbar by some distance.

Swindon were almost the creators of their own downfall in the 72nd minute when Conroy’s ball back to Vigouroux put the Town goalkeeper under pressure and his scuffed clearance fell to Bury substitute Andrew Tutte.

The midfielder had time to take a touch but as he aimed for an empty net from 25 yards out, his looping effort went wide of the goal.

That seemed to spark Town into life and Obika and Gladwin both tried their luck from outside the Bury box but Murphy was at ease as he welcomed the chance to warm his gloves on a bitter afternoon in Greater Manchester.

With 15 minutes left on the clock, Nathan Thompson found himself caught in possession in his own half but was relieved as he picked himself up off the turf to watch Vaughan’s shot fly wide.

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Town director of football Tim Sherwood cuts a frustrated figure as he watches from the stands at Gigg Lane

With 10 minutes to go and Town staring into the abyss that is the League One relegation zone, there was still a lack of visible desire to haul themselves out of the predicament they found themselves in.

When Brophy beat Moore with ease down the left wing and cut into the box, it looked as though Swindon would finally be testing Murphy’s prowess on debut.

However, with three Town players waiting to pounce on the incoming delivery, the young full-back could only find a blue shirt, much to the visible annoyance of Ajose, who had been dealing on scraps all afternoon.

Despite dropping deep and inviting pressure in the closing stages, Tutte ensured that they remained a threat at the other end as his pot-shot from distance flew just over Vigouroux’s bar in the 87th minutes.

Town’s chance to salvage a point came deep into injury time when Obika used his strength to keep the Bury defence at bay before finding Colkett in the box in space, but the midfielder lacked the composure and dragged his shot wide of the far post.

However, that was not Town’s last chance and when referee Brown blew for a foul on Obika 20 yards out, there was much discussion over who would take the last shot at earning a point.

An unusual candidate won the tug of war as Conroy stepped up but his shot drifted over the bar and Brown was quick to bring proceedings to an end.

It was a game that won’t live long in the memory of the neutral fan, but will raise concerns for the following 200 that made the trip up from Wiltshire – do the team have the same fight those supporters showed to conquer the M6?