EVERYTHING had been set up for it to be Swindon’s day yesterday.

A win over Torquay last week had enabled them to head to Wembley without having to worry about what happened in League Two over the weekend and Town fans woke up to glorious sunshine ahead of making their trip to the capital for the final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

Swindon had cleverly capitalised on the feel good factor at the club by arranging for Paolo Di Canio masks on the seats for the 30,000 fans who had travelled to help encourage an atmosphere of celebration. It was almost too perfect, and perhaps it was.

Fireworks greeted the two teams as they walked onto the pitch, but sadly those were to prove to be the only ones on show as far as Swindon were concerned.

It took a while for Town to get going, as was to be expected in a game such as yesterday’s, but when they did it looked as though it would only be a matter of time before they took the lead.

It didn’t happen before the break, but Swindon have cranked it up for the second half of games on numerous occasions this season that many fans went to get their half time refreshments still confident that Di Canio’s side would be lifting the trophy come 4pm.

However, barely two minutes into the second half all that was to change.

Oliver Risser's own goal clearly knocked the players’ confidence while Chesterfield became wise to the threat Lee Holmes had been on left and had him more tightly marked throughout the second half.

Town had one or two good spells, but ultimately they were few and far between and Craig Westcarr ended all hope of a fight back deep in stoppage time.

And so those same Swindon fans who had arrived in London full of hope and confidence left a few hours later dejected.

It is disappointing, undoubtedly, but Swindon have shown an ability to bounce back from a bad moment on plenty of occasions this season.

Town have a young squad, one of the youngest in the league, but yesterday’s defeat will likely help them grow up very quickly. They have now experienced the feeling of losing an important game inside a big arena, while having to watch another team’s jubilant celebrations in front of them.

It is an experience they will not wish to have again any time soon and instead they will be more determined than ever before to lift the only trophy still up for grabs – the League Two title.