Destiny in our hands

Manager Paolo Di Canio made light of the supposed Manager of the Month curse by overseeing Town’s 10th successive league win at home courtesy of Paul Benson’s 35th minute strike.

Cheltenham were certainly unlucky to have gone home empty handed, and the fact that Wes Foderingham was named man of the match showed just how much pressure Mark Yates’ side put Town under for much of the game.

But sides who come out on top of these types of games are the ones that ultimately challenge for promotion, and the three points means just a handful of wins from Swindon’s remaining 11 games will likely be enough to secure promotion.

“It was obviously not the best we have played but the victory was amazing,” said Di Canio.

“Now we have two games coming up and we want to win both so that we can go to Wembley full of confidence and play our football.

“Our future depends on us. The outcome of this season and our destiny is in our hands.”

As Di Canio calls it, Saturday’s game was a ‘direct confrontation’ with Cheltenham having started the day six points behind Swindon and a win for the visitors would have certainly kept the battle for first place wide open.

Having been rested in midweek, Luke Rooney and Jonathan Smith returned to the starting 11 while Alan McCormack stepped in at right-back to cover for injured skipper Paul Caddis.

After a lively first quarter of an hour it was Town who had the first real chance when Billy Bodin capitalised on a poor back-pass to go clear on goal, but the teenage forward was denied by Cheltenham keeper Jack Butland before Matt Ritchie’s follow-up effort was deflected behind the goal.

But the visitors had a golden opportunity to take the lead on the half hour mark. Darryl Duffy fell inside the area when challenging with Oliver Risser for possession of the ball and the referee immediately pointed to the spot.

Duffy stepped up to take the spot kick but he had his head in his hands seconds later when Town keeper Wes Foderingham dived the correct way to deny Cheltenham’s top scorer and keep the scores level.

It was to prove a pivotal save as just five minutes later Town took the lead.

Foderingham pumped the ball forward for Luke Rooney, who raced down the left before playing a short pass back to Alessandro Cibocchi.

The Italian full-back whipped in an inviting cross towards the far post where Benson was on hand to turn home and maintain his fine goalscoring form.

Cheltenham came out in the second half determined to get back into the game and they had a good chance when Jermain McGlashan’s pounced on a Cibocchi error to race into the area, but his fierce drive was denied by Foderingham.

Minutes later, opposite number Butland kept out Benson’s volley with a fine one-handed save before Cheltenham resumed their dominance.

Duffy directed a free header straight at Foderingham in the 54th minute before the striker’s overhead kick from five yards out was again down the throat of the former Crystal Palace keeper.

It was very much backs against the walls for Town in the final 10 minutes and the home side again had Foderingham to thank when he raced off his line to deny Duffy after he had broken clear of the defence.

It was evident that it was just not going to be Cheltenham’s day and they were still unable to find a breakthrough in four minutes of injury time as Town held on to secure the three points that has increased their lead at the top of the standings to eight points.

Town now have the rare luxury of a blank fixture week before travelling to Crewe on Saturday and Di Canio gave his players a much deserved two days off before returning to training tomorrow.

Swindon’s success this season has undoubtedly been built upon Di Canio’s intense training regime and the Town boss believes that has played a key part in Town still picking up results, even when not playing to the best of their ability.

He added: “Training is crucial. If you have three days off a week how can you build up the fitness that is needed?

“The players who played on Saturday have had two days off but the others train today. It is not a punishment, it is because I might need them for Saturday and they need to be in top form.

“Even if we are already definitely up by the last game then we will still be training and practicing as normal because if I will be here next year the players have to maintain the same mentality and same focus.”