SWINDON Town midfielder Michael Doughty believes people shouldn’t underestimate the importance of some of his side’s key players that have been missing in recent weeks following their 1-1 draw with Walsall.

Yaser Kasim made the starting line-up for the first time since the beginning of February, while the forward pair of Nicky Ajose and Jonathan Obika are only just returning from short-term lay-offs.

Add to that the return of Nathan Thompson from suspension in the last month and there is a spine of the team that, on Tuesday night, showed they can still compete with a team battling to make it into the automatic play-off spots in League One.

“It’s been a marked improvement on recent weeks and I think that is reflective in the team we have been able to put out,” said Doughty.

“That is no disrespect to any of the other players who have played in previous games but having the likes of Jon (Obika), Nicky (Ajose) and Yaser (Kasim) back in the side gives us a real focal point and spine, which is strong.

“From a performance point of view, that is probably the best we have been in recent weeks and a good point away at a very good side.

“It was more that we had a good shape and good intensity to our game, rather than they didn’t put us under too much pressure.

“Out there, I felt as if we were dealing against good players and we really needed to be concentrating.

“That is something we need to take into the remaining three games because we have taken a lot of criticism, and rightly so, for a difficult run of results.

“I think people are aware of the circumstances involved in that and now we have got a really competitive team and squad back fit, we’ll be looking to pick up more points towards the end of the season.”

Doughty was the man to put Town ahead in the 59th minute at the Bescot when he was in the right place to pounce on Jonathan Obika’s shot and slide the ball under the body of Neil Etheridge.

That strike meant that Swindon took the lead in a League One fixture for the first time in nine outings and was their first goal in four, with the relief clear to see in the celebrations in front of the travelling Town fans.

“I had a few chances before (my goal) and I was a little bit disappointed not to put the one on the edge of the box away,” added the on-loan Queens Park Rangers player.

“I was just sort of gambling because I know that Jon is likely to shoot on the edge of the area and fortunately, it fell to me with the onrushing keeper and I had a split second in my mind where I thought ‘if I hit it low, then it is probably going through his legs or underneath his body’.

“Fortunately, I did that and I got the goal to edge us in front, and I think we were disappointed not to go on a win the game.”