RED and white dreams were dashed in ruthless fashion as Swindon Town were savaged by Preston North End at Wembley.

After an unforgettable League One campaign, there was no fairytale ending for Mark Cooper’s swashbuckling Swindon in the League One play-off final – they were torn asunder by Preston’s punishing aerial prowess and left to lick the most smarting collection of wounds following a dismal afternoon at the home of English football.

For now, at least, the Championship remains a world away.

The worst possible start to a game is an oft-trotted-out cliché but it couldn’t have rung more true for Town after Preston took the lead with just a handful of minutes on the clock.

After Jermaine Beckford was played in over the top of the Swindon defence, he was clipped by Nathan Thompson and from Paul Gallagher’s resultant free-kick, the North End hotshot muscled his way in front of two markers at the far post and slotted home from close range to send the travelling Lancashire fans into raptures.

Injury was added to insult straight away as captain Thompson – one of the Town defenders who unsuccessfully challenged goalscorer Beckford – lay prostate on the ground and had to be stretchered off, bringing his season to a cruel end after a spirited fightback from injury.

The Lilywhites' aerial tactics continued to have Swindon defenders unsettled and with 13 minutes on the clock, anguish turned to despair as Cooper’s men fell 2-0 behind.

After a Gallagher corner was unconvincingly cleared, the ball eventually found its way back to the Preston winger and a second teasing delivery from his cultured right foot was thumped home by centre-back Paul Huntington, leaving the men in red reeling.

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Jermaine Beckford slides home Preston's fourth goal in the second half

There were shades of that dismal Saturday afternoon at Deepdale back in April when an experimental Town line-up were outclassed 3-0 by Simon Grayson’s troops but defender Jack Stephens rolled up his sleeves and attempted to drag his team back into the contest, embarking on a driving run from deep, jinking past an opponent and seeing a strike deflected over the bar.

But Stephens’ bravado failed to spark a Swindon fightback, with Town failing to muster a shot on target in the whole of the opening 45 minutes.

Another Preston set-piece had hearts in mouths, with Tom Clarke heading across the face of goal, but referee Andy Madley pulled play back for a shirt-pull.

With three minutes of the half remaining, Town fans were offered a brief glimmer of hope as Nathan Byrne tied Calum Woods in knots and whipped a sublime delivery on to the forehead of Michael Smith at the far post but he headed narrowly wide.

That hope quickly turned to gut-wrenching dread as Beckford showed his class, cutting back on to his left foot to escape the attentions of Jordan Turnbull and curling an inch-perfect shot into the net past a despairing Wes Foderingham.

The half-time whistle couldn’t come soon enough.

However, the Lilywhites had the bit between their teeth and four minutes after the break, Beckford was sent racing clear on a hat-trick but his low strike was tipped away by the ever-impressive Foderingham.

Town did manage to find their feet but man-of-the-match Beckford wasn’t to be denied his day in the sunshine.

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Paul Huntington (centre) celebrates with Paul Gallagher (left) and Jermaine Beckford after netting against Town

As Swindon were put under pressure high up the pitch, Sam Ricketts’ attempted clearance inadvertently put the former Everton and Leeds United man in on goal against and he made no mistake this time, coolly sliding home into the bottom corner to make it 4-0, becoming only the third player to ever score a hat-trick in a Wembley play-off final.

A Clarke header had to be palmed away by Foderingham as the white onslaught showed no signs of abating but up the other end, a clipped Yaser Kasim pass did appear to strike the arm of Woods in the area but referee Madley was unmoved.

Cooper’s side finally forced Sam Johnstone into action just shy of the 70-minute mark, Jonathan Obika’s header causing the North End goalie to make a save.

Yet another set-piece caused Town fans into sharp intakes of breath, with Neil Kilkenny’s delivery nodded wide by veteran frontman Kevin Davies, whilst Louis Thompson tried to mark his Swindon swansong with a goal but saw his strike charged down by two defenders.

With nine minutes to go, defender Turnbull got on the ball on the edge of the Preston area and unleashed a thumping shot that Johnstone beat away but Swindon’s goose had long been cooked.

An instinctive Obika header was superbly tipped away by the Lilywhites keeper but there was to be no late consolation for Town.

Those red and white dreams will have to remain on the back burner.

SWINDON TOWN: Wes Foderingham, Nathan Thompson (Sam Ricketts 4), Jordan Turnbull, Nathan Byrne, Yaser Kasim, Massimo Luongo, Ben Gladwin (Louis Thompson 58), Harry Toffolo (Andy Willaims 70), Michael Smith, Jon Obika.

Subs not used: Tyrell Belford, Raphael Branco, Anton Rodgers, Jermaine Hylton.

PRESTON NORTH END: Sam Johnstone, Tom Clarke, Bailey Wright, Paul Huntington, Calum Woods, John Welsh, Neil Kilkenny, Daniel Johnson (Scott Laird 82), Jermaine Beckford (Kevin Davies 72), Paul Gallagher (Alan Browne 36), Joe Garner.

Subs not used: Thorsten Stuckmann, Chris Humphrey, Kyel Reid, Jordan Hugill.

Attendance: 48, 236