THERE are occasions as a football fan, and they are very rare, when you put yourself through the whole spectrum of emotion.

But on the even rarer occasion when you come through that spectrum intact, with a smile on your face and singing your heart out, with the prospect of a day out at Wembley around the corner, you know why you went through it in the first place.

Last night at The Valley, 3,000 travelling Town fans enjoyed such an experience.

From the nervous optimism prior to kick-off and the worry at David Lucas' fall, from the silent hush that greeted Simon Ferry's own goal to the dejection at going into half time 2-0 down, the anger at Gordon Greer's red card and the pride at watching the men in blue fight back.

And then the the elation and outpouring of passion as Danny Ward nutmegged Darren Randolph to level the tie and send the teams to extra time.

Of course there was exhaustion throughout those added minutes, not least after the panic of Frazer Richardson's stinging strike rattling an upright and Deon Burton firing wide.

But wasn't it all worth it?

Danny Wilson's troops stuck it out, and those few thousand who descended on The Valley by coach, car and rail and were lucky enough to witness the moment Stephen Darby beat Randolph from the spot to seal victory, will keep that instant imprinted on their minds for years to come.

The vibe of an evening match, under floodlights and in front of a near-capacity crowd, is always special.

But at seven o'clock yesterday evening there was something different hanging in the air.

Far from the over-optimism which lends itself to opposing fans, there lingered a sense of reality.

Everyone trod with trepidation around the topic of predictions, not wanting to curse their side's chances.

Swindon's fans, as they have been all season, refused to be outsung by Charlton's superior numbers, and leant their voices to the cause throughout.

Of course it is hard to keep up the volume when your side fall two goals behind before the break, and it would have taken a brave man to remain optimistic once Greer was dismissed with a quarter of the game remaining.

But these are the nights grandparents will eventually recount to their grandchildren, and the kind from which youngsters get hooked on the game.

Three thousand fans on the trains and roads after the game shared an emotion as they ventured back down the M4, and thousands more felt it in the pubs, bars and front rooms of Swindon.

Those little Robins, so often off the radar, are flying to Wembley for the first time in 17 years.

How do you feel this morning?