AARON Nell believes the next three weeks will be the true test of Swindon Wildcats’ credentials this season.

Cats host English Premier League leaders Telford Tigers tonight, which kicks off a run of three home fixtures against teams in the top four in the table on consecutive weekends.

Nell’s side also welcome second-placed Milton Keynes Lightning to the Link Centre next Saturday before Basingstoke Bison, who currently sit fourth, travel to Wiltshire on Sunday, February 12.

Swindon have lost their last four fixtures against the Tigers and although Nell knows his team face a massive challenge to put that right this evening, he is keen to see an improvement in order to gauge exactly what the Cats can achieve before the end of the campaign.

“We’ll work hard this week and we have got a massive game coming up on Saturday night. Telford are top of the league and we want to beat them,” said Nell.

“We know we need to be a lot better than we have been but it’s a good challenge and we’re looking forward to it.

“Our next three home games at least, maybe the next four, are against three of the top four sides and it is a challenge I am looking forward to.

“We’ll see where we are at. We’re playing against three teams who are going to go right at us and they will go at us hard and we have to see how we respond to that.

“In our small rink, we like playing at home and we have got three big challenges coming up and it will be a big test for us but it is something we need to look forward to and make the most of.”

It will be a weekend of contrast for the Cats as following the Telford game, they then travel to bottom-of-the-table Manchester Phoenix on Sunday night.

That is the first of two trips to Phoenix’s new home at Silver Blades Ice Rink in Widnes and Nell says nothing less than four points from those two fixtures against the EPL strugglers will do.

“We’re in Widnes the next two weeks and they are games that you just have to win. It doesn’t matter how it looks, you have got to win those games against Manchester,” said Nell.

“But first, we have got to think about Telford and make sure we put a big performance in.

“I don’t think about the last three games against them. We’ve been OK at times but I don’t think we have been right at our best and that is why they have won.”

D-man Lee Richardson is a doubt for this weekend’s fixtures because of a concussion picked up during last Sundays’ clash at Guildford Flames.