It was a fitting end to Leyton Orient’s annus horribilis after their relegation to League Two was confirmed.

The O’s somehow managed to throw away a two-goal lead against a ten-man Swindon Town side made up of youngsters and reserves. It was a calamitous collapse by Fabio Liverani’s side but in the end it did not matter.

Colchester United’s surprise 1-0 win over Preston North End ensured their survival and meant Orient could not escape the drop.

But imagine if the U’s had not won and Orient’s draw had cost them their place in the division. Sunday’s result at the County Ground proved irrelevant but the O’s got exactly what they deserved after a shambolic season on and off the pitch.

This will probably go down as the most expensively assembled squad – taking into account wages – in the club’s history and they have flopped embarrassingly.

How on earth a team have managed to go from being a penalty shoot-out away from the Championship to relegation from League One in less than a year is hard to comprehend.

No single reason is responsible for this disastrous campaign. There are many reasons why Orient have imploded and will find themselves in the fourth tier of English football next season.

The club’s big money signings, such as Jobi McAnuff and Darius Henderson, have not performed anywhere near the level expected of them.

Injuries have curtailed their time on the pitch but their contribution when available has been a major disappointment.

The rest of the squad which remained from last season have also misfired throughout this campaign and the squad unity and morale has been eroded.

Owner Francesco Becchetti insisted he would not disrupt the ethos of the club following last summer’s takeover but this has not been followed through.

Four managers during a season is not normally a recipe for success and the latest incumbent, Fabio Liverani, has simply not been up to the job.

He came into a difficult situation with no experience of English football or the language. But Liverani has had more than half a season to keep the club in the division. The O’s were 19th in the table when he took over in December and yet finished 23rd.

Even worse, Orient appeared to be heading for safety after climbing out of the relegation zone following a win at Coventry City at the start of last month. Seven points from as many games would have kept them up on goal difference but all they could muster was four draws.

In 27 games in charge, Liverani picked up 30 points. He could not motivate the team and his persistent tinkering of the side, even following a victory, did nothing to help the side establish any continuity.

The final act of this demoralising season was classic Orient as their inability to punish ten men struck once again.

Goalkeeper Tyrell Belford was sent off for bringing down Lloyd James but the midfielder’s penalty was saved by stand-in Cameron Belford.

The visitors appeared to be doing their job in their hour of need after goals from Dean Cox and Chris Dagnall fired them into a 2-0 lead early in the second half.

But Orient caved in, conceding twice in the last 30 minutes. The Robins pulled one back after John Swift touched a free-kick to Anton Rodgers and he flicked the ball up before hitting a stunning volley past goalkeeper Alex Cisak.

The pressure was growing on the O’s and they crumbled after 86 minutes when Luke O’Neill tripped Sam Ricketts in the area and Andy Williams blasted the penalty into the net. By this point Colchester were already ahead and the game was effectively up.

It was an abject end to a dreadful season. Everything which could possibly go wrong has done. Ultimately the club have been managed appallingly from the very top down and relegation is the just result.

Before anyone gets carried away with talk of an immediate return to League One, Tranmere Rovers, who are heading for the National League after successive demotions, are a worthwhile reminder nothing should be taken for granted next season.

Unless Orient get things right off and on the pitch, there is no guarantee this is the last stage of the club’s downward spiral.