SWINDON Town twice came from two goals down to beat Wigan Athletic 4-3 in dramatic circumstances on the final day of the League One season.

A memorable encounter began with Wigan going two goals ahead through Curtis Tilt and Will Keane. Scott Twine pulled one back from a free-kick, only for Zak Clough to poke in a third.

But the game turned when Tilt was sent off for bringing down substitute Tyler Smith as last man midway through the second half. Hallam Hope then struck Town’s second before Smith headed in a late equaliser as the board went up for stoppage time. The action would not end there though, as Twine lashed in a 93rd minute winner to end Swindon’s difficult campaign on a real high.

Town made two changes to the side that lost 2-1 to Ipswich in an eventful game at the County Ground a week prior. Tyler Smith and Christopher Missilou dropped out to be replaced by Tom Broadbent and Jordon Garrick as Swindon lined up in a 4-3-3 formation with Grant back in midfield.

The game began in remarkable fashion as Wigan won six corner inside the opening five minutes – however, only two of them created any real danger for Town with Tilt almost digging out a shooting opportunity and another being scrambled out of the goal mouth.

But Town didn’t last too much longer without conceding as from Athletic’s seventh corner inside the opening 20 minutes, Tilt headed in. Camp came to meet Dan Gardner’s cross, but didn’t reach it in time as Tilt stole into head into an unguarded net.

10 minutes before the break, another Wigan corner almost led to the hosts’ second. Gardner's delivery beats everyone except Joe Dodoo, who was hovering at the back post. He took a touch to settle himself and lashed goalwards, but he lifted his effort far too high and blasted over.

Minutes later, Dodoo missed the target again, though it was from a tight angle. Tendayi Darikwa's cross was deflected into the path of Wigan's number 20, but as he took a touch, turned, and swivelled, Dodoo dragged his shot across the face of goal and out for a goal kick.

It took until the 41st minute for Town to achieve their first shot on target, and it came after Hunt's cross from the right was well controlled by Pitman slightly behind him. The striker dragged it in with his left before turning and striking tamely at goal.

It was the visitors who had the best early chances of the second half too. First, Twine had a shot from inside the box bravely blocked by Tilt – following good work down the left by Jack Payne – before Matty Palmer volleyed the rebound narrowly over.

Town would be made to pay for not taking their chances in a crazy 10-minute spell of action around the hour mark. First, the hosts made it two goals to nil when a very slick team move saw the ball fired into Clough down the left. He turned inside and played it onto Keane who took a touch before placing it into the far corner.

Two minutes after that, Twine was felled for a free-kick in a central position around 20 yards out, and he stepped up to curl over the wall and into the back of the net. However, less than a minute later, Lang crossed in firmly from the right for Keane, and he volleyed goalwards, only for Clough to poke in from the six-yard box for his first goal of the season.

To cap off the madness, Wigan were reduced to 10 men in the 65th minute when goalscorer Tilt was sent off for pulling Smith back when through one-on-one.

The action continued with 13 minutes to go when Swindon pulled another goal back. Grounds picked out substitute Hallam Hope down the right with a wonderful pass. The striker could have easily squared it to Tyler Smith for a tap-in, but decided to go for goal and nicely slotted it past Jones to make it a one-goal game again.

And in the 90th minute, the mini-fightback from Swindon was duly rewarded with another goal. Rob Hunt’s delicious cross from the right was headed in by Smith. But deep into added time, Twine picked up the ball in a pocket of space on the left before lashing the seventh goal of the game into the net.

It was a sparkling end to a dismal campaign, but Town ended the season with a memorable three points.

WAFC starting XI: Jones (C), Darikwa, Tilt, Johnston, Robinson, Ojo, Gardner, Lang, Keane, Clough, Dodoo.

SUBS: O Evans, Whelan, Aasgaard, Wootton, Joseph, L Evans, Proctor.

STFC starting XI: Camp, Grounds, Pitman (C), Twine, Garrick, Payne, Palmer, Hunt, Thompson, Broadbent, A Grant.

SUBS: Matthews, Smith, J Grant, Curran, Missilou, Hope, Parsons.