WHEN many looked at the Swindon Town squad last season, it was very clear to virtually everyone to see that the one thing they were lacking was experience.

With no players over the age of 27, Luke Williams’ class of 2016-17 never really got to grips with the demands of League One and were subsequently relegated.

Fast forward 12 months and David Flitcroft has assembled a squad of experienced campaigners, with a touch of youth and a few wise old heads.

With five players aged 28 and three over 31 looking to the long-term future is something that can wait at the County Ground with the goal this season being quite simply promotion.

That is why top scorer Luke Norris believes the older contingent of the squad and looked to Swindon rather than going elsewhere to top up their pension pot before their playing days come to an end.

“I think everyone knows what we have got to do,” said the nine-goal hitman.

“The main focus (this year) is getting out the league - the gaffer has drilled that in.

“That is something why people have come to this club. They have not come to try and see out their last few years.

“They have come because they want to win something and that is something where everyone is on the same wavelength and something that I think, come May, we will be in a good position to do.”

Since dropping down to the bottom rung of the Football League ladder, Swindon have proved a Jekyll and Hyde side with the superior away form overshadowing the disappointments at the County Ground.

While many of the Town faithful would like to see a few more wins on home soil, Norris believes that rectifying that is a much easier task than if it was the away form that was giving cause for concern instead.

“I think with the home form, especially with our away form so strong, if we had backed that up with a few more home wins we would be sitting at the top of the league now,” said Norris.

“But that is a positive, doing the harder stuff rather than the easier stuff, so that is easier to rectify.

“With some home games we have dominated the first 20 minutes or even the first half (and) it has not quite happened then we have conceded from almost nowhere. That is a real kick in the teeth for us.

“It is strange, playing so well away from home, scoring a lot of goals. On our home patch it should be even easier but I think we are getting there.”

Norris made his return to the squad last weekend from a shoulder injury when he came off the bench to replace Harry Smith after he suffered a nasty bang to the head.

“It (the shoulder) feels very good, I do bits of work on it every day and it is improving every day,” the former Gillingham man said.

“I think since Carlisle (opening day of the season) this the best that it has felt and I’m hoping that it can stay that way.”