|
"It's a big game for us and everyone is looking forward to it. We don't want to come here and go through the motions that's for sure. It's a long trip and we want to go back with something. Carlisle are a side who have done well so far this season, but we are not too far behind them. We still have a game in hand on most teams in this league and we will be looking to make the most of that too.
"A result tonight would do us a lot of favours and be a huge boost. I haven't played at Carlisle before but we are ready for it and want to get the game underway. Saturday is another big game and with two away fixtures on the bounce we have to be picking up some points. I am looking forward to the Southend game but Carlisle is the priority at the moment."
Meanwhile, Town caretaker manager Dave Byrne, who has been promoted from youth team duties since the departure of former boss Paul Sturrock to Plymouth last week commented :
"Training on Sunday was difficult - we must have made more players on the sidelines than were doing the rehab work those players who played on Saturday were doing. On Saturday against Forest Green Rovers we asked the players to press the game quickly, but we may have to change things for Carlisle. They have done well under John Ward and they do exactly as he wants. We want to be positive and are not going there to settle for a point. I want our players to give it everything and if they do that, we are in with a chance."
Swindon are claiming an injury-crisis at the moment but it would seem that only five players are actually currently sidelined. Those being defenders Jamie Vincent (calf) and Ady Williams (knee), goalkeeper Phil Smith (groin), ex-Carlisle striker Lee Peacock (thigh), and Christian Roberts (knee) who has been playing on the right-hand side of midfield for the Robins recently.
Also out though are centre-half Jerel Ifil and French left-sided midfielder Sofiane Zaaboub who both picked up three match bans, that were upheld on appeal, for straight red cards received in their recent match against Bristol Rovers. Life has got even worse for the Town pair too this morning as they have been handed an extra one-match ban each, reduced from two on appeal, for failing to leave the field in good time following their dismissals.
One player coming back into the Swindon squad is striker Simon Cox who missed the 3-2 FA Cup win over Forest Green Rovers at the weekend. Cox is currently on loan at the County Ground from Reading and they did not want him cup-tied. 17-year old left-back Ben Tozer was recalled from a trial spell at Everton last week and he also looks likely to figure tonight.
Another two players coming into the reckoning for the visitors this evening are youth team winger Lloyd Macklin and the exotically named Clovis Franklin Anzite. The 22-year old free agent striker was born in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, and he had spent his whole football career with AC Ajaccio in Corsica before making a surprise move to Wiltshire in September.
The referee for tonight's match is 22-year old Michael Oliver from Ashington in Northumberland, and he will be assisted down the lines by Mark Lawson, who is also from Northumberland, and Paul Tierney from Wigan. Meanwhile the fourth official will be Gary Beswick from Newton Aycliffe in County Durham.