NATHAN Byrne believes the Town squad possess the quality necessary to play in the Championship but insisted they are not getting carried away by the prospect of a promotion challenge just yet.

Town sit seventh in League One following Saturday’s 5-2 win over Port Vale, level on points with Bradford who occupy the final play-off place, with a third of the season gone.

The Robins possess a squad made up mainly of young players getting their first real test of regular football, and while Byrne believes they are capable of playing second tier football he is concentrating on the job in hand.

“We are trying to push as far as we can get and we have shown we can perform at this level but we have to keep going,” he said.

“I don’t think the lads specifically think we are going to get automatic promotion or anything like that but I think all the boys know we have the ability to make it to the Championship.

“The manager said we need to get about teams in games and press them quickly, which we managed to do (against Port Vale) and we have to take a lot of confidence from that.”

Byrne is also enjoying the freedom he is afforded in his new wing-back role, which allowed him to score Town’s crucial fourth goal on Saturday.

“When you play wing back it’s almost like something in between because I do have license to go up the field but when the other team break I have to get back,” he said.

“I think Nathan Thompson and I do the most running on the whole pitch, and we are only there because the manager thinks we can do it, but I don’t see myself as either a defender or an attacker really.”