Mark Kennedy said that Swindon Town’s focus on recruiting the right people has created a fierce competition for places through training.

Swindon got their first win of the season without four key leaders as Harry Smith, Ollie Clarke, Grant Hall, and Ryan Delaney all missed the Newport County game for various reasons but Town got into the win column for the first time with a 4-0 victory.

Kennedy said after the game that he placed a large onus on training in his team selections and those sessions have been making it very tough for him to choose the starting 11.

He said: “I think that we have a really good group of players, I am really confident in the group.

“I put a huge emphasis on training to the players, whether it is standards or qualities because everybody can have a bad session but your behaviours and values in training are huge to me.

“I won’t go into it but we had a really personal conversation with the players post the game today, which was about behaviours, values, and how you train – I am giving you half a story there but it did magnify how we see training.

“You have to be ready. I am finished, I can’t play anymore and I have no desire to play anymore but it is your career, it is your time, not mine.

“It does affect me because I am the coach but I have had my career, it is done and dusted and in the history books, so this is all about the players.

“A big emphasis in recruitment was on the people we brought in and we don’t have any clowns.”

Kennedy added that it was very difficult to leave out Aaron Drinan from the start because of the way he had trained and he remains confident the striker will have a big impact.

He said: “Glatzel trained this week with a real freedom this week and his bravery for his goal was just phenomenal and he showed it again for the fourth goal, which wasn’t his ball but he made it his ball and then Kabs’ [Kabongo Tshimanga] goal was a real Kabs goal.

“But I have to mention Aaron Drinan because he has been really unlucky as he has been exceptional in training this week – really stood out.”

“He is a good example because he has trained like a machine this week and I thought he was really effective when he came on.”