FANS of Swindon Town were left tired but exhilarated by a thrilling night in which their team came out on top.

But for many fans the late finish meant the last train had already left for Swindon by the time they reached Paddington.

A total of 3,200 fans made the trek to The Valley to witness the nail-biting penalties that enabled Swindon to book their place in the League One play-off finals at Wembley on Saturday, May 29.

Some faced a difficult journey home from south east London, and ended up staying with friends. But fans said all the hassle and lack of sleep had been worth it.

Phil Oliver, 44, who works in Swindon but lives in Devizes, has supported Swindon Town for the last 30 years.

He was one of the fans that missed the last train from Paddington back to Swindon where he had left his car.

After getting on the Bakerloo Line with another 50 or 60 Swindon fans, he quickly realised he was not going to make the 11.30pm train.

He decided to catch the 11.55pm train back to Bicester, the other side of Oxford, to stay with fellow fan and friend Bob Docherty.

He did not have time to go home the next morning so had to stop off at a convenience store in Gorse Hill to pick up some essentials – toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant and a disposable razor. He had no choice but to wear the shirt he had worn the day before.

“I’m half asleep with my face cut to pieces, but it was worth every minute,” said Phil.

“It’s fantastic, it’s what the supporters of a small club dream of, the chance of playing at Wembley, it makes every year of pain and misery that much more enjoyable when these small moments come your way.”

He said there were others in his office who were feeling the effects of a long evening’s travel on a supporters’ coach.

Paul Healey, 53, of Old Town, who has been a supporter since 1969, said: “It was a great game and the best team won.

“It was close and I thought Charlton were going to win it. The penalties were nerve-wracking. I thought they were going to miss it, I was praying.

“I will be queueing up for tickets to the final.”

New Swindon MPs Justin Tomlinson and Robert Buckland both made the journey to The Valley and then stayed overnight in London ahead of their first day in parliament.

Mr Tomlinson, who is a lifelong Swindon Town supporter, said that because of the late finish which saw extra time and penalties, he had heard many fans making frantic calls to friends in London.

He said: “It was fantastic – I have been a football fan all my life and seen thousands of matches but nothing will match the excitement of last night.

“It was nerve-wracking. I was amazed how many fans couldn’t watch it, but I had a really good feeling we were going to do it and I’m excited we’re going to Wembley.

“It’s the sort of thing that gets the town together and I really hope we can finish the job off.”

A First Great Western spokesman said: “We’re sorry to hear some fans had difficulty getting home following the game.

“We do all we can to accommodate sport fans following events finishing late and do plan for them wherever we can.

“Unfortunately on this occasion we didn’t have the time to plan for the event and the resources weren’t available.”

A spokesman for Wiltshire Police said they were not aware of any incidents related to the game.