WE ARE Swindon. No one likes us, we don’t care.

Who would have thought that mild-mannered Swindon Town could engender such Millwall-style hate in opposition fans – not to mention management.

Other clubs apparently don’t like the (perfectly legitimate) number of loanees we have in the side, the alleged propensity of our players to fall over under the slightest challenge and us playing under-strength teams in run-in matches which were key to promotion/relegation issues.

Now the stoppage time winner from Nathan Byrne which gave us such a precious away win at Bramall Lane in the first leg of the semi final play-offs prompted accusations that the team over-celebrated.

Yeah, as if the Blades and their fans would have settled for just a firm handshake in similar circumstances.

Of course, the tie is far from over and we head for the County Ground tonight for what, unless we kill it off with a couple of early goals, is sure to become incredibly tense.

But nothing can take away our magnificent win at Bramall Lane. The real Swindon Town turned up – one that has been missing in recent weeks – albeit for the opening 25 minutes of the second half.

And most pleasing of all was the return to form of Yaser Kasim. This was the swaggering and assured Kasim that we have not really seen since he went away to represent Iraq at the Asian Cup.

Now we just need his midfield partner Massimo Luongo to finally shake off his post-Asian Cup hangover and we should be safe.

We rode our luck at times; the ref was very generous in not awarding a penalty for a Ben Gladwin handball; Sheffield United spurned a number of chances only to take the most difficult one of the lot for the lead and we wasted a penalty opportunity.

Byrne became the target of the Yorkshire boo-boys after earning the spot kick. It was a stonewall pen, but he did over-elaborate his fall, which he is prone to do.

Then Gladwin hit the pen in exactly the same spot where he has put his last two and the well-researched Mark Howard saved easily.

The final 10 minutes of the first half gave us some encouragement and that was carried over into the first 25 minutes of the second period when Kasim pulled the strings and we dominated totally.

Sam Ricketts does look a lost soul at wing back but he scored a marvellous set piece header and his presence at the back was vital too as the whole defence manned up for the late onslaught and got their heads on a host of late corners and crosses.

We were hanging on, so Byrne’s late winner was a true bonus.

Let’s finish the job and head to Wembley to meet another team, Preston, that we may have upset, albeit indirectly.

Aston Villa boss Tim Sherwood is expected to recall loan player Callum Robinson from Preston before the Wembley final.

That would be the same friend-of-Swindon Tim Sherwood who supplied the club with so many Tottenham graduates (including Luongo and Byrne) when he was at White Hart Lane and who happens to be Swindon owner Lee Power’s best mate.