BY THE time Town travelled to Halifax on May 2, 1986, they had been celebrating having won the Fourth Division championship for a fortnight.

The task in hand now was to secure a new points record of 102, which would require both victory at The Shay and at home to Crewe on the final day.

Swindon had gone unbeaten for almost four months - since January 4 - but struggling Halifax had scant regard for such an achievement, having ended Port Vale’s 18-match unbeaten league run just three days earlier.

And the Yorkshiremen certainly gave Town plenty to think about in the final 20 minutes when they scored, had another effort cleared off the line and a good shout for a penalty turned down.

But fortunately by this time, Lou Macari’s men were three goals in front.

The first came midway through the opening half when Dave Bamber sent over a deep cross for Charlie Henry to head in at the back post. Bamber had seen a goal ruled out as early as the fourth minute, when a free-kick was given against Peter Coyne for a foul on keeper Paddy Roche.

Swindon strengthened their grip on the game five minutes after the interval when Henry bagged his second of the night and 17th of the season to edge in front of Colin Gordon as leading scorer.

The move started at the back with Colin Calderwood, before Derek Hall - making his first start since November - threaded the ball through for Henry to drive home off the far post.

Henry laid on a chance for Coyne to make it three in the 63rd minute but the former Old Trafford youngster missed the target.

It would be only a temporary reprieve for the hosts, however, as Henry struck again within two minutes.

Following a storming run through the middle from Chris Kamara, two defenders were taken out of the game when he released Henry on the right - and he promptly fired past the advancing keeper for his hat-trick.

Simon Lowe replied for the hosts eight minutes later, snapping up a loose ball after Ken Allen had parried a shot from Gary Nicholson. And Nicholson was denied again soon afterwards when he beat the Town keeper with a header but not Coyne covering the line.