WES Foderingham feels he is reaping the benefits of a short period out of the Swindon Town team through injury.

The goalkeeper produced a man of the match performance in the Robins’ 2-1 victory over Sheffield United at the County Ground on Saturday, making three superb saves – two from Conor Coady and one from John Brayford – to give Town the platform to claim the three points which lift them into seventh place in League One.

After the match, Foderingham revealed that his three-week long absence due to a groin strain earlier this term had helped him refocus mentally.

He said: “I was in the gym for three weeks and that gave me the chance to work on areas of the game I’m not that strong in and most of all gave me a bit of a break mentally.

“I’ve not had a break out of the team since I’ve joined and to go through so many games, so many managers, so many owners, teams, centre-halves is quite draining mentally so I was quite pleased to have the break and come back and do as well as I have been doing.

“I think the change in the team and the way we are playing now helps me because the back four is a little higher up and that gives me more space to work in.”

Foderingham was full of praise for centre-back Jack Stephens, who impressed yet again against the Blades.

He said: “He’s been really good. He’s done tremendously well. I spoke to him when he first joined and he was a little bit nervous and a little bit shy and he’s really come out of his shell now.

“He’s a fantastic defender, he can work with the ball at feet as well and he’s not put a foot wrong since he joined. He’s come in and done really well for us.”

Town are now just a single point off the play-offs, although sixth-placed Peterborough United have two games in hand on the Robins, but Foderingham stressed talk of reaching the end-of-season lottery will be kept to a minimum.

“We haven’t really spoken about it,” he said. “When we stopped speaking about it we started picking up results. We’re just going to continue doing what we have been; training, working hard and try to win all of the last six games.

“If we win them all I’m sure we’ll be there or thereabouts. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen but it’s really positive what we’re doing and I’m sure it will stand us in good stead for next season.”