SKIPPER Mike Thompson says Swindon will look to draw strength from their heroics of the second half of last season as they look to make certain of their status in South West One East once more.

Swindon resume their campaign after the Christmas break with a home match against Gloucestershire side Old Centralians on Saturday, with the Greenbridge Road outfit currently down in fourth from bottom in the table having won just four of 14 league fixtures so far.

That is exactly the same return that Thompson and his team-mates recorded over the first half of the 2016-17 campaign.

They also lost their next three matches after the turn of the year but were then beaten just once more between late January and the end of the season in April to finish safely in mid-table.

Thompson has no doubt that Swindon are capable of a similar turnaround in fortunes but knows it is down to the players to produce the goods.

“We are in a similar situation to where we were at this time last year as we have not had a good start to the season,” said Thompson.

“There are a lot of different reasons as to why that has happened but that’s behind us and now it is about putting some good form together. Hopefully we can come back fighting.

“The plan is to do the same as what we did last season.

“We have got the boys to do it but it’s about having that level of consistency in the team and getting everyone available week in, week out.

“We had a chat before Christmas about what we want to do in 2018.

“We had training on Tuesday in horrible conditions but we were out there in good numbers, so it shows the boys are keen.

“The boys looked sharp and we just need to take that into game day now on Saturday.”

If Swindon are to move up the standings, they will need to dramatically improve their home form after claiming just two wins at Greenbridge Road so far this term.

“Our home form has not been brilliant,” said Thompson.

“Looking back a few years, it was very rare that we ever lost at home.

“It was a real fortress, so we are looking to get back that to mentality.

“We need to make sure that when teams come to us, it is not an easy game and they have to work really hard to get anything.”

Second row Ash Taylor is unavailable this weekend but Swindon otherwise have a full squad to pick from.

Royal Wootton Bassett are also at home on Saturday as they welcome Oxford Harlequins to Ballards Ash.

Meanwhile Swindon College Old Boys and Supermarine are both without a fixture this weekend and do not resume their seasons in Southern Counties South and Dorset & Wilts One North respectively until January 13.