SCOTT Cuthbert is still beating himself up over the mistake that cost Swindon dear in their penultimate home game of the season, but is determined to come back next season a stronger player for the experience.

With the score against Notts County level at 1-1, the defender dithered on the ball and was robbed of possession by Lee Hughes, who consequently ran through on goal before firing home the winner.

While the defeat obviously dented Town’s survival hopes, it was not the ultimate cause of the club's slide into League Two.

Cuthbert, though, is still haunted by the error and is desperate to make amends next season.

The Scot said: “It was very hard (to accept relegation), especially when you have, from a personal point of view, made a mistake that has resulted in a winning goal for the opposition and you are beating yourself up all week because you are dying to make amends. It is really, really frustrating.

“But everyone makes mistakes and beating myself up over it will not help anything. I made that mistake and I will make plenty more before I retire so there is no point beating myself up over it.

“I just need to learn from it and the next time it happens I have to deal with it differently.”

For Cuthbert, the time that he felt ultimately determined Town’s fate was the run of three games immediately after Paul Hart came in in March, when the Robins played Walsall, Plymouth and Dagenham & Redbridge.

“Walsall came to us and we drew 0-0, it was not ideal but we thought that if we could get seven points from the three games then that would be going,” he added.

“We went to Plymouth and got beat, then drew with Dagenham. They were the teams around us and we needed to be beating them to jump out of it and from then on I personally thought it was going to be an uphill struggle.”

Who the club appoints as permanent manager has added importance for Cuthbert, given that he is out of contract in the summer.

But the former Celtic trainee refused to state any preferences he has on the type of manager he would like to see come in, happy to leave that decision down to the club's board.

“We need a manager who is going to take the team forward,” he said. “We need someone who will be positive and bring in the right players for League Two and get us promoted.

“But it is hard for me to say though because it is down to Jeremy Wray to pick the right manager and I am sure they will.”