SWINDON Town first team coach Ross Embleton has admitted that corners are a cause for concern that they are trying to address.

On a recent fans’ phone-in on BBC Wiltshire, both Embleton and head coach Luke Williams were questioned on why they adopt the tactic of having every man back to defend corners.

Having been vulnerable to crosses into the box from set-pieces last season, Embleton conceded that it was an area of the game that needed focusing on during the summer.

As a result, Town have adopted having more men back to defend dead ball situations in a bid to make up for a lack of physicality in the squad.

Town appear to still be looking at the best way to defend their own box, with John Goddard taking up a role further forward to occupy the Bolton Wanderers defenders last weekend, and Embleton is keen to get the balance right.

“It is something I have focused on quite a lot this year,” said Embleton, with AFC Wimbledon certain to have a physical threat at set-pieces this afternoon.

“With regard to the reason why we have, more often than not, had 11 players back, has been due to the physical profile of our team.

“It is, on occasion, a little bit less than the opposition so we feel as though we need to make sure we fill a lot of spaces in the box and limit the opportunities for those bigger players we come up against on a regular basis.

“We limit the opportunities and the runs and the space for them to create chances.

“What comes with that, and I suppose the downside of having all 11 players in the box, is if we do clear it away, the opposition have an opportunity to recapture it and put us under more pressure.

“It is trying to find a balancing act and over the last couple of games we have toyed with putting one player up to try and relieve a little bit of pressure.”

Meanwhile Williams has defensive issues to address ahead of today’s trip to Kingsmeadow, with Lloyd Jones unlikely to be fit in time to feature.

The Liverpool loanee had expressed that he would be targeting a return in south west London but has had to pull out of training this week.

Williams will be boosted by the knowledge that Conor Thomas should be fit to face the Dons after returning from a bruised hip, with Bradley Barry, who, along with Yaser Kasim, is one yellow card away from a suspension, also on course for a return to the squad.

However, there is no timescale yet on the return of striker Jonathan Obika, who missed last weekend’s defeat at the County Ground having sustained a knee injury during training last Friday.

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