MICHAEL Timlin returns to his former stomping ground this afternoon as Town travel to Fulham in the FA Cup third round, and the Londoner has stressed that a replay at the County Ground is the “minimum” Swindon should be aiming to get from the encounter.

The Irishman, pictured above during his Fulham days, made just three appearances for the Cottagers, all in cup competitions, during a four-year association with the club, and although he is likely to play a supporting role from the bench today, Timlin is confident his current teammates can put one over a few old faces.

“We should just go there and play our own game and hopefully that should be enough,” he said.

“I’m sure that Fulham would have been wanting to play against a different team to us seeing as we’ve been doing so well.

“As far as money’s concerned it would be great for Swindon to get a replay, but both sides will be going into the game looking for a win.

“We’re going to go down there looking for a win and if not the minimum is a replay.

“As long as we start the game really well then we should have a good day down there.

“We went to Wolves and played them off the park but had to go to penalties.

“I think it will be a harder game against Fulham.

“I know some of the guys who are still there like Konchesky and Danny Murphy and Aaron Hughes, but there has been a lot of change since I was there.

“But we’re full of confidence at the club and putting in a good performance in a cup game is going to stand us in good stead for the rest of the league season.”

Timlin joined the west London side’s academy as a youngster, but found first team opportunities hard to come by and eventually sealed a switch to the County Ground on a permanent basis in 2008.

And the 24-year-old remains grateful to Fulham boss Roy Hodgson for allowing him to move on.

“When I left to come to Swindon on loan the second time, Roy Hodgson had just taken over and he knew my desire to get out after enjoying my first spell,” he said “(Lawrie) Sanchez (former Fulham manager) wouldn’t let me go out so I owe a good thank you to Roy because it allowed me to get playing again.”

“He has definitely made them a lot stronger as a team and a lot of the sides in the Premiership are respecting them more than they had been.

“They look like a top 10 team now, rather than a side always flirting with relegation, so we have to go down there with a positive attitude.”

“As long as we go down with the right frame of mind, who knows what it might bring us?”