SKIPPER Adam Westall has urged Swindon to shake off their unwanted January record and start the new year with a bang at Maidenhead tomorrow.

Swindon have lost their first match back after Christmas in each of the previous three seasons, and have won just one of their last eight league fixtures held in the month of January.

Fly-half Westall, however, says his troops are raring to go after the festive break and will travel to Berkshire determined to end that hoodoo.

“It’s a historical trait for Swindon, unfortunately. We’re always slow starters when we come back after Christmas,” said Westall.

“I think it’s a mindset thing. It’s that top two per cent that makes the difference and the boys have switched off after spending some quality time with their families and haven’t quite switched back on again.

“We always seem to be away from home in the first game back as well, which doesn’t help. It’s the same again this year, so we need to make sure we aren’t caught out like we have been before.”

Swindon ended 2014 in superb form and a run of seven wins in their last nine matches has seen them climb to fourth in South West One East.

They were fortunate to hold on for a 25-13 win when they entertained Maidenhead earlier in the season and are likely to come up against opponents hungry to set the record straight.

Although Swindon will also have to get to grips with the unusual 3G artificial playing pitch at Maidenhead’s Braywick Park home, Westall hopes the slick surface can be to his side’s advantage.

“Some of boys are familiar with the surface as they have got it up at Hartpury and we have trained on one before as well,” said Westall.

“We try to play with a bit of tempo and width, so hopefully that’ll help us as there’s no chance of the pitch being a boggy mess like some are at this time of year.

“I think they felt hard done by when they didn’t win that earlier fixture and they’ll be looking for revenge.

“They gave us a bit of a going over when we went down there last season. That was around the same time of year, so we’ve got to be wary of that.

“We have opened up a nice gap between ourselves and the teams in fifth and sixth but we know that can go quite easily.”