BEN Gladwin insists that the Swindon Town players will be focusing on their own game as the race for automatic promotion hots up.

The County Ground side helped pile the pressure on Preston on Tuesday night as they beat Rochdale 4-2, while the Lilywhites dropped two points in their 2-2 draw at home with Gillingham.

Mark Cooper’s men could snatch second place in League One should they win all five of their remaining games – including the trip to Preston on Saturday, April 25. However, with MK Dons winning 3-0 at Fleetwood Town, the task still remains tough.

If fourth-placed Town do beat the Lancashire outfit and both win all their other matches they will both finish the campaign on 91 points, as will MK Dons, who have a vastly superior goal difference, if they are victorious in their remaining four outings.

But Gladwin, who bagged his first professional hat-trick on Tuesday night at Spotland, says that Town will be looking after themselves.

“I don’t think we need to look at it like that,” the former Marlow man said when asked if Town are back in the hunt for second place.

“We just need to keep playing as we have been, trying to pick up the points.

“I think if you get caught up in that too much you will start worrying about it.

“In the last couple of games we have been performing well and picking up the points - that is the main thing.”

Since making the step from the Southern League to League One last year, the 22-year-old has forced his way into Cooper’s side and prior to Tuesday night had only scored three goals for Town.

But after his hat-trick in 20 first-half minutes, Gladwin admits that he nearly left the match ball behind.

“I almost forgot it,” he said. “It wasn’t until after the boys reminded me on the bench to grab it.

“I’ll get it signed and it will be a nice little memento.”