MICHAEL Doughty was pleased to see Swindon Town’s offensive ploy pay off as they ended their four-match winless run at bottom side Colchester United.

The midfielder admitted that Town had deliberately set up to attack the U’s, hoping to make the most of their opponents’ lost confidence and end a goal drought of their own.

Doughty got two of Town’s goals as they bagged a 4-1 win at the Colchester Community Stadium, with Luke Williams’ team finding the net for the first time since the 1-1 draw at Sheffield United on January 23.

Having drawn a blank in their last three games, Doughty said Town were always going to look to get on the front foot in Essex.

“We are really pleased. We felt it was a game that we needed to win if we wanted to push up the table,” Doughty told BBC Wiltshire.

“I think the performance in spells was very good and it was good to build on what we have been doing in the last few weeks.

“It was obviously pleasing to score four goals because it’s been well documented that we have been struggling in front of goal in the last three games.

“The type of football that we look to play is quite expansive, so I think that naturally leads to us being quite open.

“We had a lot of emphasis this week on taking more risks in the final third and trying to test their keeper and I think paid off today with the amount of chances and the goals we scored.”

With Colchester fighting for their lives to arrest their slide to the foot of the table, Doughty says Town were extra cautious to avoid the indignity of being the first team to lose to the U’s in 16 games.

“It was a banana skin type of game. The type of season Colchester have had at present hasn’t been brilliant and in some respects they haven’t got a great deal to lose,” added Doughty.

“They have got to win games and have got to throw the kitchen sink at you and I think the atmosphere reflected that.

“The fans were a little bit edgy and I think we did well to take control of the game and ultimately quash any threats that they had.”