Swindon Town's desperate efforts to get their Coca Cola League One clash against Southend on ended in failure this morning.

Referee Karl Evans was left with no choice but to postpone the match after plunging overnight temperatures froze the County Ground playing surface.

Town had covered the pitch all week, protecting it against heavy snowfalls, and right up until yesterday evening were confident that the game would take place.

Volunteers and club officials swept several feet of snow from the covers yesterday, as well as gritting the stadium car parks and surrounding areas, working until late into the evening.

However, those efforts proved in vain as temperatures plunged to as low as -4 degrees overnight, leaving the playing surface unplayable.

Official Evans, who travelled to Swindon on Friday night for an initial pitch check, heaped praise on the efforts of Town staff and more than 150 fans, who had pulled out all the stops to get the game played.

But he admitted: "Unfortunately, the overnight frost got under the covers and froze the grass and there were parts of the pitch that you just can't run on because there would be no penetration.

"We had to look at the safety of the players and the officials so we had no option but to call it off.''

He added: "I had a look at the field last night and it was playable.

"The fans that were helping out last night did a tremendous job, they really did. Unfortunately, there is nothing that could be done about the frost.''

No new date for the match has yet been set.