IT all started so well. There was the excitement of the journey to Wembley, despite the best efforts of Network Rail.

There was the thrill of seeing a sea of red arriving at the iconic stadium and the warm glow of recognising Wiltshire voices marching up Wembley Way.

And then the game kicked off and all those dreams were trampled on by a clinical Preston North End attack.

For the majority of fans clad in red in North West London yesterday it was not the defeat that stung, it was the disappointment of losing so heavily without really putting up much of a fight.

A goal down in less than two minutes and deprived of the services of the skipper through another cruel injury, it was never going to be Swindon Town’s day.

But there is still much to feel a sense of pride about.

The town was superbly represented by the majority of those who made the journey and sang their hearts out throughout the game.

Those who stayed to the bitter end to show their appreciation for the team deserve particular praise. It wasn’t an easy watch.

At the start of the season any fan would have thought a play-off final was a ludicrous notion but Mark Cooper, his team and his backroom staff brought the club agonisingly close to a glorious conclusion and that is something to be celebrated, no matter how yesterday turned out.

No one will forget that crazy semi-final either.

Losing is part of football, come August the pain will have subsided, to be replaced by a new determination and a fresh sense of optimism. If the team did it once, it can do it again and this time it can go one step further. Holding on to that is what supporting your club is all about.