THE FULL REPORT: Don't mention the R word

With head coach Luke Williams helpless on the sidelines to prevent his side falling to a 2-1 defeat at home to Scunthorpe United at the County Ground, Town’s fate was sealed as news filtered in from Gigg Lane of Bury’s 3-0 win at home to Northampton, not to mention Shrewsbury Town downing Southend United 1-0 to secure their own League One status.

However, those keeping a watchful eye on the club’s Twitter feed, or reading the official website’s match report may have been blissfully unaware that the loss to Scunthorpe had committed their side to League Two football next year, with no mention on either of the club’s relegation.

But in the real world, the owner, coaching staff and players alike were coming to the realisation that there will be a summer of change ahead as they adjust to life in the bottom tier of the English Football League.

A sun-drenched day in SN1 soon saw the dark clouds closing in as a fortuitous goal from Murray Wallace in the sixth minute gave the visitors a first-half lead.

Luke Norris tries his luck at a Town equaliser but is unable to see the ball hit the back of the net

When Scunthorpe substitute Sam Mantom scored midway through the second half, it left the task for Swindon to avoid the drop an impossible one, despite Rohan Ince’s late wonder strike.

Both teams named unchanged sides from their previous outings, with Luke Williams sticking with the XI that lost 1-0 at Walsall on Easter Monday.

However, having ridden their luck in the early stages at the Bescot, it took less than six minutes for promotion-chasing Scunthorpe to be gifted the lead despite vehement protestations from the Town defence for a handball that saw Wallace bundle the ball over the line.

Coming to claim a routine cross from David Mirfin, who had left Conor Thomas in knots down the left, Lawrence Vigouroux was unable to gather as Wallace lost Raphael Branco in the box to sneak in ahead of the Town stopper and convert from yards out to the disbelief of the home crowd.

Town fans were dealt a further blow just moments later as news starting spreading that James Vaughan had given Bury the lead at Gigg Lane, to leave Swindon needing a win to stave off relegation for at least another week.

Town's scorer Rohan Ince

There was little on the field that could lift spirits either as on a number of occasions they simply passed the ball off the pitch to add to the growing discontent in the stands.

In the 14th minute, Vigouroux, who had received a plethora of player of the year award trophies prior to kick-off, had to be alert as he turned a Josh Morris free-kick around the post.

From the resulting corner, the ball again dropped kindly for Wallace in the box, whose attempted bicycle kick ended up wide of the target.

Dion Conroy was left looking like a statue moments later as Morris took a nice touch midway into Town’s half to take it around the Swindon centre-back, but his shot from the edge of the box flew just wide.

At the other end, very little was finding its way into the Scunthorpe box, but on the 22nd minute Charlie Colkett delivered a peach of a ball from the halfway line over the top of the Scunthorpe back line, but it was headed wide by Ben Gladwin.

Sam Mantom seals the win for Scunthorpe as he shoots past Lawrence Vigouroux

Jonathan Obika was trying his best from the limited opportunities he had, but, like the crowd was left frustrated.

In the 25th minute, Ince broke up play well in the middle of the park which fell nicely to Obika, but the Town striker’s effort from the edge of the box deflected off Mirfin and out for a corner.

Nine minutes later, the former Tottenham man was taking aim again from distance but this time Scunthorpe goalkeeper Joe Anyon was down well to his left-hand side to get a strong hand to the low-drilled shot and divert it away for another corner.

However, from the resulting corner, Neal Bishop was able to head clear and set Scunthorpe away on the counter through Ivan Toney down the right wing, but his low, inviting cross across the six-yard box went unrewarded as no Iron forward was able to keep up with it.

Nicky Ajose looks to break free from the Scunthorpe United defenders

Off the pitch, the atmosphere was beginning to turn sour, with fans who had left their seats in the Arkells Stand and made an attempt to direct their frustrations toward the bench were escorted away, with young children having to be moved away from the ensuing scuffles.

Meanwhile, Scunthorpe had the chance to double their advantage before the break when Branco conceded a foul on Toney on the edge of the box, going into the referee’s notebook as a result, and Morris stepped up to see his effort cannon off of Vigouroux’s bar.

The visitors looked to start the second half off on the same foot as Morris was afforded too much time down the left and his cross found Paddy Madden, whose effort was tame and straight at Vigouroux.

Charlie Colkett battles for the ball at the County Ground

Moments later, Obika was trying his third attempt from distance but despite Anyon not being able to handle the shot, the Scunthorpe stopper got just enough on it to see the ball fly away to safety.

While Swindon were lacking much inspiration up front, a shot from substitute James Brophy the closest the hosts were coming to a leveller, things took a bigger turn elsewhere as Shrewsbury put themselves 1-0 up against Southend through Junior Brown’s header.

Swindon were then dealt a hammer blow in the 71st minute when Mantom, who had barely been on the pitch a couple of minutes, was found in space in the box after a break of pace from Morris down the left wing.

Mantom took a touch as he skipped past Thomas, who could only flick a leg at the green shirt, before getting the ball out of his feet and finishing left-footed past Vigouroux, whose right hand on the ball was not enough to prevent it finding the back of the net.

Obika was unable to get on the scoresheet in Town's 2-1 defeat 

Town’s relegation was all but confirmed minutes later when news of a second goal for Bury as George Miller’s goal meant that Town required a four-goal swing in their favour.

Ince was able to give Swindon the slimmest of hope in the 85th minute when he was encouraged by Town fans to shoot from almost 30 yards and duly obliged, finding the top corner with aplomb.

However, as the final whistle blew at the County Ground to a chorus of boos and chants for chairman Lee Power to leave the club, a third for Bury was being scored by Vaughan to seal Town’s demotion to League Two.

Ben Gladwin goes up for a header

There was little reaction from Town’s players, as many looked lost on what was suddenly a very large looking County Ground pitch before skulking down the tunnel to leave skipper Nathan Thompson, whose right foot was strapped up in a protective boot, to applaud the remaining supporters in what looked to be his last act at home in Town colours.

What the future now holds for Swindon Town is a complete unknown, the club’s next piece of communication might hold the answer to that, but for now, silence is far from golden.