DAVID Flitcroft hailed a professional job well done from his Swindon Town troops as they roared into the second round of the FA Cup with a dominant 5-1 win at non-league side Dartford.

Town arrived at Princes Park looking to end their recent dismal run in the competition after falling at the first hurdle in each of the previous five seasons, with a Darts side sitting top of National League South fancying their chances of causing an upset.

The home side’s hopes were blown apart in ruthless fashion, though, as Swindon flew out of the blocks in Kent and had the game sewn up by half-time thorough Timi Elsnik’s double and one from Harry Smith.

Amine Linganzi and Paul Mullin continued the onslaught after the break as Swindon went 5-0 up after 50 minutes, with Richard Sho-Silva’s late consolation for the Darts doing little to dim the eagerness in which Town will now await Monday evening’s second-round draw.

“I am nothing to do with the history. I know people ask me about it but I want to create a new future at the club,” said Flitcroft.

“We are Swindon Town but we have a substance to what we do, there is a strength to what we do and a real humility to what we do. We went out and respected the opposition more than most.

“We had a fantastic training session on Thursday and I said to the lads: ‘I can see the win on the cards because you are just committing to each other’.

“I am delighted with the way the lads turned out a really professional performance.

“There was talk before the game from their manager and chairman that they we going to intimidate us and that just got us more ready for this game.

“I have never been intimidated in my life so to come here and do what we did, for the first 20 minutes of each half, I thought we absolutely obliterated them.”

The win was Town’s fourth in a row in all competitions and Flitcroft feels his side are starting to see rewards for their hard work since a dramatic overhaul at the club over the summer.

“Winning is the joy. Winning football matches is a habit you can get into and so is losing football matches,” added the manager.

“If you want to keep winning and continue to keep winning, you have got to keep putting the work in and the commitment to each other.

“The players have done that and the fans can go home after seeing us really dominate a non-league team at a non-league ground and almost making it our own.

“The fans were outstanding, it felt like a home game.”