The final match of the season has rarely brought much cheer to the Stanley fans – and this one left a particularly bitter taste in most of their mouths.

For the last seven years, the Reds haven’t won their final league match – but it has been more incidents off the pitch which have provoked mention rather than those on it.

At the National Hockey Stadium in 2007, they watched MK Dons players and fans celebrate their promotion to League One; then there was the infamous Bury defeat which led to the betting scandal of 2008.

Last year it was Bury again with a match remembered for the Shakers fans believing they had sealed automatic promotion and invading the pitch — only for them to end up with red faces when they found they were denied by one goal.

And this year, the trip to Cheltenham will be remembered for steward and police involvement with the Stanley fans – something which has been a rarity in the Reds’ football league life.

News had already filtered through prior to kick off that a couple of fans – with the Reds support winning praise for their behaviour in most grounds this season – hadn’t made it into Whaddon Road due to the police taking exception to some of their behaviour on their walk to the ground. Many were loyal supporters who were outraged by their treatment.

Once inside, there seemed to be a long running battle between the usually peaceful fans and the stewards who, at one point, ended up having a tug of war with the Reds supporters over a flag which the visiting fans wanted to show after the home fans had held theirs up.

It certainly provided a distraction to events on the pitch and was a shame after the Ultras had organised three free coaches to the game – with perhaps some travelling for the first time thinking ‘never again’ after all the chaos.

And many of the Stanley fans expressed their disgust at their treatment by making their way back to the coaches long before the game ended with not many remaining when the players came to clap them at the end of the match.

All this certainly overshadowed what has to be said was a lack-lustre game for the Reds first trip to Whaddon Road.

The match, despite Cheltenham fighting for the League Two lives, had a friendly feel about it, especially once the Robins scored an early goal and other results started going for them.

Any worries of non league football filtered away and it was just a case of playing out the remaining 80 minutes.

Prior to the game, the Robins needed a point for safety but, as it happened, they didn’t need anything due to Grimsby’s defeat and former Burnley player Mark Yates is now rebuilding for the new season.

For Stanley, the result saw them drop to 15th which, while it would have been taken at the start of the season, was tinged with disappointment after a campaign in which a play-off spot came within touching distance.

Perhaps the only one bright spot to take from the proceedings was a goal for teenager Chris Turner.

The winger scored against Robins in a 4-0 win at Accrington earlier in the season – up to then his only goal of the campaign – and he repeated the feat to secure the Reds a point when it looked like another end-of-season defeat was on the cards.

¿Josh Low had been allowed time and space to shoot the Robins into the lead in the ninth minute to settle any nerves among the home fans.

Then news filtered through that the Mariners had gone behind and a nail-biting affair became quite calm which probably didn’t help the players raise their game.

Stanley’s equaliser was well worked with Bobby Grant, surrounded by around five home players, still managing to squeeze the ball to unmarked Turner on his left who hammered the ball home – and looked at his mum and dad who have followed him around England this season watching him either play or wait for his chance off the bench.

But, apart from a Grant strike and a Billy Kee volley which were both pushed over by Robins keeper Scott Brown, there was little on offer from the Reds. In fact it was Yates’ side who were wasteful in front of goal with Julian Alsop having a couple of chances, one saved low down by Ian Dunbavin, while Michael Townsend somehow missed tapping home from two yards.

Both of these have since been released by Yates as he looks to avoid another relegation scrap next season.

And the game did just seem to peter out, a bit like Stanley’s season, and for the seventh final game of the season in succession the Reds couldn’t fashion a win.

And Whaddon Road won’t be on the top of the list for places to return to for the majority of the Reds fans.