Town Head Coach Luke Williams is well aware of the importance of tomorrow’s game against Oxford United but has called for calm and cool heads from his players.
It will be the first time the two sides have locked horns in the league since March 2012 and the Robins will be hell-bent on beating their local rivals for the first time since Steve Robinson’s double downed the U’s in 2001.
As such, a lot will be riding on the game for both teams with a precious three points at stake and while Williams wants to see passion from his players, he will also be stressing the importance of keeping their emotions in check at times.
“I’m looking forward to the atmosphere and the whole occasion,” he told swindontownfc.co.uk.
“All the coaching staff and all the players are looking forward to it but at the same time it is another game and if we concentrate too much on the stuff that goes on around it then we can take our attention off the really vital bit, which is the performance and executing the game plan.
“It is great and we’re looking forward to it but ultimately it is a game of football that we prepare for in a very similar way to all the other games.
“We’ve expressed our passion for the fixture to the playing staff and in return they’ve expressed how eager they are to get on with business and hopefully bring back the points and the bragging rights for the town.
“We’re all up for it but we’re trying to make sure we’re sensible and keep the lid on things as well.
“I think there will be a lot of energy and a lot of exchanging of tackles before the game settles down into any sort of pattern.
“Both teams are going to have to force domination of the ball on their opponent tomorrow because that football is not going to be given up cheaply, no space is going to be given up cheaply so the players will have to earn that.”
Tomorrow will present one of the Town players with the chance to be a hero, but Williams doesn’t mind who scores so long as his side put in a good performance to bring the three points back to Wiltshire.
“Any goal is a big thing for the players but to score in this one would be that little bit special,” he added.
“The team are not selfish in that way and they know it is about creating good chances to score goals and who ends up putting the ball in the back of the net is not the most important thing.
“It is about the performance and it is about the team winning, regardless of who it is that scores.”
