THE FULL REPORT: Conjuring up a finish

There were two full Town debutants, two penalties, one saved by the older brother of the dismissed goalkeeper who conceded it, a fantastic set-piece goal and a side relegated.

However the Robins’ 2-2 draw with the now-relegated Leyton Orient was like watching two drunks going at it around the back of a shabby pub.

It goes to show that highlight reel moments can make for an exciting trailer of a duff feature-length piece.

Tyrell Belford’s dismissal after 22 minutes changed the nature of the game.

In making nine changes from the draw at Colchester, Swindon manager Mark Cooper had already made his intentions for the afternoon clear. No risks would be taken.

The carelessness with which Jordan Turnbull and Anton Rodgers conspired to expose Belford, leading to the keeper being dismissed for bringing down Chris Dagnall was endemic of much of the Town display.

Even after Cameron Belford played the hero and saved the penalty, Sam Ricketts and Raphael Branco repeated the same careless trick to gift Dean Cox the opener.

More sloppy defending resulted in Dagnall scoring the O’s second just after the break Had the visitors shown any resolve and Anton Rodgers not produced a moment of magic to provoke a Town fightback, the game would have simply been the last leg in the terrible Tour de Farce of Town’s run-in.

As it was, Andy Williams was allowed to give Swindon a measure of merit they barely deserved from the spot.

Having topped the league in January, Cooper’s side finish the regular season 20 points behind champions Bristol City and 12 behind MK Dons in second.

Momentum is not Cooper’s favourite word - and he seems to have deliberately shunned any attempts to gain some.

There was an air of bafflement at the County Ground when the teamsheet was revealed and it featured Harry Agombar, the mystery midfielder who was set to be released without having made a first team appearance.

Agombar was one of nine changes from the side that scrambled a draw in midweek.

Josh Cooke, the academy graduate who made his debut at Preston, got his first start. Jack Barthram got another chance to show what he can do, having impressed at Deepdale.

Will Randall, Branco, Ricketts, John Swift, Tyrell Belford and Rodgers were all also included.

It was clear from the outset that Swindon had nothing to play for and Leyton Orient were a side with everything riding on the game.

Unlike the matches at Preston and Colchester Town did make it through the first minute without conceding a goal. However they only got through the first five minutes because of a fantastic save from Belford to deny Jay Simpson from close range.

With the team selected perhaps it was not a surprise, but Orient controlled much of the game, a rare sight for an away side at the County Ground.

Town’s struggles stemmed from their inability to play from the back as Orient’s marauding forwards pressed high to nick the ball in dangerous areas.

Orient also seemed able to drift in behind Swindon’s shambolic offside trap at will. Ricketts in particular had great trouble tracking the elusive Dagnall.

It was a combination of those factors that led to the dismissal of Belford.

Rodgers surrendered the ball under pressure inside his own half and Dagnall was put one-on-one with the keeper.

The striker poked the ball away from the onrushing Tyrell Belford and was bundled to the floor.

Referee Dean Whitestone waited to see if Lloyd James could convert from a tight angle. When the ball nestled in the side-netting the official did not hesitate to point to the spot and, much to the dismay of Belford, also produced a red card to end his afternoon.

Cameron Belford was summoned from the bench to replace his younger brother and given the unenviable task of trying to atone for his brother’s error.

James was the man tasked with the spot kick and, much to the delight of the home fans, the elder Belford’s first professional action since April 2013 was to save the penalty, beating the ball away low to his left.

Cohesion seems like a long-lost relative of this Town side at this point and no reunion looked imminent as a patchwork team of cast-offs and pretenders struggled for any kind of passing game.

Williams was increasingly isolated up front, feeding off long balls from his own keeper, with no one to support.

When Orient’s goal did come its route was hardly a surprise. Ricketts played to Branco with Cox bearing down on him and the Brazilian’s first touch let him down. Cox could not have asked for the ball in a more advantageous position and with only Belford to beat, the diminutive midfielder coolly placed past the keeper.

There were six minutes added on at the end of first half and, in truth, no one wanted them.

The sooner both sides could head inside the better, with the standard of football scraping the very bottom of the barrel.

After the break it seemed to take Town longer to emerge from the changing room than the visitors, at least mentally.

No one in the back three was awake when Simpson was allowed to wriggle free in the box and shoot, Belford saving well. Unfortunately the rebound came to Dagnall who had the easiest of tasks to convert into an unguarded net.

Given Town’s lack of gumption in recent weeks it would have been no surprise to see the game peter out.

To their credit, they rallied and through two set-pieces earned themselves a draw and in the process contributed to their visitors’ relegation.

Rodgers’ wonderful free-kick routine was the catalyst for a comeback which had previously seemed improbable. From a free-kick on the edge of the box the midfielder was rolled the ball by John Swift and proceeded to flick it up and hit a first-time volley into the top corner.

It was a special goal that far exceeded the quality of anything else produced in a game, much of which had been sloppy.

It is certainly an adjective that could be applied to Swift’s attempt to convert Barthram’s cross. Meeting the ball just a few yards out the Chelsea loanee should have done a lot better.

Had he scored it would have capped a wonderful move started by a delightful, raking, Rodgers pass with the outside of the boot to set Barthram free.

If the afternoon’s slack nature needed compounding it got it as Luke O’Neill conceded a very soft penalty to hand Town an easy route to the path for parity, bundling over Ricketts with the O’s goal under little threat.

Williams has missed two penalties at the County Ground this season, though both of those were in front of the Stratton Bank.

At the Town End, he slammed his kick right into the corner for his 22nd goal of the season.

After the equaliser there were sniffs for both sides. It was frenetic and all-action, albeit without the finesse.

Collapsing from 2-0 up to a draw against 10 men demonstrated how poor Leyton Orient were. Town deserve credit for their pluck, although they did not need to be anywhere near their best to get a draw.

It is unlikely many of Sunday’s team will trot out at Bramall Lane on Thursday.

Those that do will also need to bring a change of attitude out with them, from the stasis that has recently lingering over the side.