Ellis Iandolo believes Town need to fly out of the traps against Rochdale this evening and seize control of the game from the very get-go.
Keith Hill’s in-form Dale side will arrive at SN1 tonight (7.45pm Kick-Off) full of confidence having won seven games on the trot in all competitions.
Town, meanwhile, are looking to get back on track at home and Iandolo knows he and his team-mates can ill afford to give a dangerous Rochdale side a head start.
“It is a lot easier playing at home because the fans are behind you and you can go out on a nice pitch and do your thing,” the youngster told swindontownfc.co.uk.
“It was a good clean sheet on Saturday and we would have liked to have scored a goal or two, but going up against Rochdale we know what they are about and they are going to be physical.
“We need to make sure we have the same fight that we had on Saturday and hopefully our quality can shine through and we can get the three points.
“If we let them score early on then we are going to be climbing a mountain. They are going to be full of confidence so we have to put them in their place and stop them in their tracks.”
Iandolo was handed his first league start of the season during Saturday’s 0-0 draw away at AFC Wimbledon and produced a very impressive performance, going up against a right-back he had watched as a young boy.
“I was pleased to get a start. I was told the day before and it was a good experience to play against a right-back in Barry Fuller that I watched quite a lot when I was younger,” he added.
“It was good to be involved and get some game time.
“It was a weird feeling because I had a season ticket and I used to play for Gillingham’s Academy so I used to go to all the home games.
“Watching Fuller play to playing against him felt a little bit weird but it was a good experience. He was very experienced and he made dog noises in my ear quite a lot as well to try and get under my skin!
“He was a frustrating opponent but it is something to learn from.”
Finally, Iandolo played out on the left of an attacking three behind lone striker Nathan Delfouneso on Saturday, and the 19-year-old feels that is where he is most dangerous to the opposition.
“I would say I’m an attacking minded midfield player so the three that was sat in-front of Anton Rodgers and Yaser Kasim is a position I like to see myself in,” he stated.
“I can come out wide or come inside so it suits me quite well to be running at defenders – I enjoyed it.
“As a young player you just want to be getting game time and whether that comes on the right, the left or down the middle you’ve got to take it as it comes.
“I’ll play anywhere for the team.”
