AS he milked the County Ground applause sporting a Town scarf and a huge smile, Simon Cox must inwardly know he is facing the biggest few weeks of his young career.
The Town striker signed off from a nine-goal loan spell from Reading with a fitting finish - a 97th-minute equaliser against league leaders Swansea - but an emotional ending has made parting that bit more difficult.
His cool spot kick was just reward for a gutsy Town grandstand finish but with a spell on the sidelines back at the Madejski looming Cox's future is very much back in limbo.
The striker afterwards admitted it was never a penalty but Town were surely owed one piece of fortune after a battling display following Barry Corr's petulant dismissal after just 20 minutes.
The Irishman will be at the front of the queue at the bar tonight, with a round for the squad in order, as his teammates spared his blushes with their never-say-die attitude.
Thomas Butler's 87th-minute looked to have broken Town hearts, after a valiant rearguard action, but an admirable display of strength and character stretched there unbeaten run to four games.
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In-demand keeper Peter Brezovan should also take a bow, after a sensational Gordon Banks-style save midway through the second half but yesterday evening all thoughts would have been on Cox's future.
The striker said: "I was nearly in tears because it is one of those things where I don't want to leave.
"I have really enjoyed my time but the powers that be at Reading have told me I have to come back and that is what I will do.
"I would be over the moon to come back because it gives me a chance to play regular football and that is all I want at the moment."
A 3,000-plus travelling army from Wales must have thought they had won the game when Butler slotted home the opener from close range after Billy Paynter had brilliantly blocked Leon Britton's goal-bound effort.
But Town's demoralised players lifted themselves for one last push, with Hasney Aljofree and Miguel Comminges having headers cleared off the line and the former seeing a stonewall appeal for a penalty turned down.
In between that, Andy Robinson saw a shot rebound off the crossbar for the visitors in a breathtaking last few minutes, out of context with the remainder of the match.
A Town point seemed a distant dream after Corr saw red but when Cox tumbled deep into injury time a fortuitous penalty was without doubt justice.
Cox said: "My heart was beating badly but it takes a cool head to step up. Especially when it was my last game I wanted to sign off in style.
"I started to think I should just smash it down the middle but when the keeper starts moving and takes a step one way he is always going to dive the other way.
"We showed guts and bottle to get back in the game.
"I wanted the penalty, Hasney did and Billy did but it came to me and I had to do the business. It was not a penalty. I just kept it in and fell over. I think the ref tried squaring it up after missing the Hasney shout. I think if I fell over it was pretty much a penalty."
Posted by: Trevor Wainwright, hungerford on 7:10pm Wed 2 Jan 08
Simon- We want you at Swindon- You will prove how good you are by playing for usin iour first team and then if you are as good as we think you are, the top clubs will come in for you!
Simon- We want you at Swindon- You will prove how good you are by playing for usin iour first team and then if you are as good as we think you are, the top clubs will come in for you!
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