ACCRINGTON Stanley's first season back in the Football League is becoming like a soap opera with a plot even the most imaginative scriptwriter would struggle to write.

The Reds have long been thought of in a romantic way - as the club which showed dreams can come true, rising from the ashes 44 years after their resignation to return to the Football League, giving what was believed to be a happy ending to the classic rags to riches tale.

But suddenly, it all seems to have gone wrong and the current twists and turns have fans poised on the edge of their seats.

Rather than this season being a time of enjoying the return to League Football and the new experiences it brings, it is heart-in-the-mouths stuff with everything on a knife edge.

The main plot is Stanley's battle against the dreaded drop.

There have been highs points - after the victory over Torquay with the Reds on the edge of the play-offs.

But that has been followed by too many lows - a perilous run of too many defeats, the agonising wait for rival teams' results and now a possible points deduction for the Reds for fielding two ineligible players.

There have been various sub-plots and plenty of colourful characters along the way and if all this had been a script on Sky's football drama "Dream Team" it would have been called far fetched!

And it is not over yet with nine games to go and everything geared up for a cliff-hanger and plenty of nail-biting from the Reds' faithful.

After the turbulent week - where the club officially announced they were under investigation from the Football League for the ineligible players - a trip to automatic promotion-contenders Swindon on Saturday was always going to be a tough ask.

Boss Paul Sturrock had demanded a good show from his stuttering side and, although he didn't quite get that, he got three points and the Reds, once again, came away with nothing.

In a game of few chances, the Robins managed to put theirs away to leave despairing Stanley with just two points from their last six games.

To make matters worse, the news gradually filtered through that, for once, others results had gone against the Reds.

Bottom club Torquay chalked up their first win in eight league games, overcoming the might of the MK Dons, while fellow relegation candidates Boston had also recorded their first win in 10 outings - since they beat the Reds 1-0.

To add to that, Macclesfield were 2-0 up but had to settle for a point on Saturday while Macc's defeat midweek at MK Dons has at least kept them down among the strugglers.

But it still leaves the Reds only out of the drop zone on goal difference and, with the points deduction hanging over them, Swindon was yet another bad day in the League Two office.

With just three wins in their last 23 league games, manager John Coleman couldn't hide his feelings as this side seem unable to halt their desperate form.

"I am depressed, despairing and I have never felt so low since my mum and dad died - when you are really upset and there is not a great deal you can do about it," said the boss.

"We conceded a penalty in the 50th minute - when there was only four minutes of injury time - and it was never a penalty.

"Then we gave a silly goal away in the second half and that just put the nail in the coffin and we didn't muster a fight in the second half. The players looked dejected and they have got to show more than that - show some heart.

"The fans were magnificent again and they deserved better than that - they deserved more from me and the players."

For the first time in more than 20 games, Coleman fielded the same starting eleven for the second game running after the draw at Bristol Rovers.

And, within two minutes, the Reds could have been one-up to put a horror week immediately behind them.

Paul Mullin fed strike partner Andy Mangan and he turned four yards out but fired wide of the goal - and that was it for real chances for Stanley.

Swindon weren't much better but lively winger Aaron Brown did clip the bar after Przemyslaw Kazimierczak was caught out with a poor clearance.

Left back Leam Richardson was sweeping up well as the Robins had a lot of possession but couldn't find a way through.

But there was a shakey moment when the Stanley keeper was pole-axed under a challenge from hitman Lee Peacock and - without a goalie on the bench - he had to continue with concussion.

Then the game turned in first half injury time.

A long throw by Brown was not dealt with and it bounced in the area and hit Richardson on the arm.

There wasn't a Swindon player around him and the ball would have bounced straight through to the keeper but the referee Steve Bratt immediately pointed to the penalty spot.

Stanley have given away a number of penalties this season - three in the last three games - and defender Jack Smith had no problem in firing it under the Reds keeper.

And Coleman was outraged: "It was never a penalty. What breaks your heart is that Dave Perkins handled for Rochdale last week and it was deemed unintentional.

"But a ball hits Leam's hand and it is deemed intentional so we get punished.

"I would certainly love to know what I have done to referees because every single week, decision after decision goes against us.

"Very few go in our favour and they say they should balance out so, in the last nine games, we should get absolutely everything."

While Coleman was furious with the penalty decision, he was also livid that Swindon's experienced striker Peacock didn't at least enter the referee's notebook.

As well as Peacock's clash with Kazimierczak, defender Mauro Almeida needed treatment during the first half on an eye injury after clashing with the striker and he was taken to hospital at the break with Michael Welch replacing him.

"Lee is an old professional and if you have one of your players putting himself about, I have no qualms with him as it is up to the referee to stop him if he is doing it illegally," said the Reds' chief.

"But he sent one of my players to hospital and left the goalkeeper concussed for most of the game and he elbowed one or two others and was never even chastised by the referee.

"And we got three players booked - it was so hard to take."

And the referee wasn't listening to Coleman's appeals at half-time as the Stanley boss was banished to the stands for "stepping onto the pitch" as he went to question the decisions with Mr Bratt at the interval.

However, he would have had barely time to settle when Brown's free kick was floated in and Andy Nicholas got the slightest of touches to steer the ball into the net.

2-0 and the game was effectively over.

Stanley continued to huff and puff but there was little flow to their game on a dry pitch and Kazmierczak needed Welch to take his goalkicks for him as they were really up against it.

Coleman put David Brown and Shaun Whalley on but they too couldn't find a way through what was a sturdy Robins backline.

The closest the Reds came was when midfielder Jay Harris unleashed a 25-yard curling effort seven minutes from time but keeper Phil Smith got down low for it.

And Sofiene Zaaboub could have made it safe for Swindon but blazed wide in a good position near the end.

Coleman's dejected troops trudged off the County Ground turf to a manager's rollicking.

"I have let the players know in no uncertain terms how I feel," said Coleman. "I feel a bit let down by the players to be honest.

"My football ambitions have to be involved in the Football League and it has taken 28 years to get here and we are in danger of throwing it away - not just at Swindon but in the last three or four months."