CAST your mind back to Saturday, August 8, and the Priestfield Stadium.

Town were comprehensively taken apart by Gillingham as hat-trick hero Simeon Jackson & Co ran riot in a 5-0 thumping.

Following their relegation battle of the previous season, it looked as though Swindon’s supporters were in for yet another long, hard season.

But that couldn’t have been further from the case as they stormed up the division to become one of League One’s most formidable outfits.

And while Saturday’s 3-2 final day reversal at Millwall, coupled with Leeds beating Bristol Rovers, ended their hopes of automatic promotion, Town still have the play-offs to look forward to.

Gillingham, meanwhile, slipped back through the trapdoor into the basement division – a far cry from what looked likely on the opening day of the season.

“I don’t think anybody would have predicted us getting in the play-offs back then,” admitted midfielder Jon-Paul McGovern.

“It was a bit of a freak result. Nobody likes getting beat 5-0 but it’s all about reactions, and after that we went on a nice run.

“Reactions are something the manager talks a lot of in the dressing room. He likes to focus on what we are going to next, and we’ve done that all season with a lot of good results.

“We now need to get a reaction from this game against Charlton on Friday night.

“This was a weird one because you think you’re up, then you’re not sure and then you’re down.

“But we will regroup and start again for the play-offs. You’ve just got to move on and see what happens.”

Swindon go into the play-offs on a run of just one win in six, but their performance showed encouraging signs of a return to the counter-attacking threat posed regularly during the opening three-quarters of the campaign.

And the visitors got off to a dream start with just three minutes on the clock. Jonathan Douglas’ free kick was only headed clear as far as Danny Ward, who fired it back in with a stunning volley which was in the bottom corner before Millwall keeper David Forde could react.

The Lions were shocked but refused to lie down and skipper Paul Robinson nearly levelled when he nodded into the side netting.

But it wasn’t long before they were all square. Shaun Batt dispossessed Douglas just outside the Swindon box, broke into the area and the midfielder, trying to make amends, bundled him over.

Referee Keith Stroud had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, from which Steve Morison sent keeper David Lucas the wrong way.

Lucas was back in action soon after, tipping over Darren Ward’s header, before he escaped a nervy moment in missing a punch, only to see Liam Trotter’s effort fly into the stand behind.

With news filtering through that Bristol Rovers were winning at Elland Road, Millwall seized the initiative just past the hour.

Morison broke past Jean-Francois down the right flank and drove a low delivery across the face of goal, which Lucas couldn’t reach and captain Gordon Greer bundled into his own net in attempting to clear.

The Whites hit back with two in four minutes in Yorkshire, making this game academic, but the hosts didn’t care and Morison fired home a 30-yard half volley into the top corner with the aid of a huge deflection.

Town striker Charlie Austin missed a glorious chance in the 79th minute when he failed to connect with Billy Paynter’s flick inside the six yard box, but Paynter showed him how it was done six minutes later, heading in Alan Sheehan’s free kick for little more than a consolation.

The disappointment etched across the faces of Swindon’s squad at the final whistle was clear to see. They had come within 90 minutes of realising an unlikely dream.

But doubles over Leeds and Southampton, and creditable draws at home to Norwich, Charlton and Millwall are nothing to be scoffed at, as they have proved they can more than compete with the best in the division.

So, automatic promotion wasn’t achieved. It may be the end of one journey, but on Friday night it will be the start of another.