SWINDON Supermarine chief Dave Webb is already racking his brains over how to inject more defensive consistency into his side next term.

Marine have conceded 77 goals in the Evo-Stik League Division One South & West this season and Webb sees that porousness as one of the main reasons his team find themselves more than 20 points away from the play-offs with three games to go.

His cause hasn’t been helped by a tide of injuries. His first-choice back four – Mark Flanagan, Dave Bampton, Ross Adams and Kyle Lapham – have only shared the pitch once all season, in last October’s 2-1 defeat to Wimborne Town.

Marine travel to Wimborne for the reverse fixture tomorrow, their final away game of the campaign, with Webb’s hard work to get his side battling at the right end of the table at this point next year well under way.

“At this stage of the season, we’re used to looking at what position we need to try and finish in to try and get into the play-offs - that’s certainly the way it’s been during my time at the football club – but it’s a lot different this year,” said Webb.

“We’ve conceded over 75 goals this season and that’s too many for a team that wants to be higher up the table.

“With any side, you start with your back four and your goalkeeper and build from there. It’s not to say that our defensive players aren’t good enough, because they are.

“But the back four that I signed in pre-season have only played 41 minutes of football all season. It was against Wimborne in October and Ross Adams went off injured. We’ve started working on things and thinking about what we want to do next season.

He added: “There have still been plenty of positives this season. Young Scott Bevan has had a chance and Luke Matthews, Jake Simpson, Ryan Stanners and Joe Shepherd have done well.’’