ASSISTANT manager Noel Hunt is keen to implement a ‘five-second frenzy’ mentality into the Swindon Town players ahead of tonight’s League Two tie against Stevenage at the Energy Check County Ground.

Hunt, 35, made more than 450 appearances as a professional footballer and won League Two, League One and Championship promotions in a 17-year career.

The new assistant boss – who linked up with Richie Wellens at SN1 following Phil Brown’s departure two weeks ago – wants to use lessons learnt from his recent playing career to the club’s strength by passing down effective traits when losing the ball.

He said: “If someone loses the ball, I want them to go and get it back.

“In my career, I played under what we call the ‘five seconds of frenzy’ rule, where if you lose the ball, everyone does what they can to get it back.

“If the opposition is good enough to get past, then press, but retreat back into your position after five or six seconds.

“Football isn’t a complicated game, but these are traits you’ve got to go over again and again.

“Working hard on shape is a big thing for me.”

Meanwhile, Saturday’s post-match data analysis of the win at Port Vale revealed forwards Keshi Anderson and Elijah Adebayo ran further than they have in any game this season.

The stats pleased both Wellens and Hunt, who are keen to make Town’s players fitter and stronger amid the club’s fight to push for a play-off spot.

“The biggest thing (to win promotion) is the dressing room, it’s got nothing to do with the boys in the background – it’s the dressing room, the mentality and everyone wanting to work for each other,” said Hunt.

“It’s no coincidence that the teams that work the hardest win games more often than not.

“We know the boys are fit and strong, but me and Richie (Wellens) are going to get them fitter and stronger.

“With that brings a closeness – and we witnessed that on Saturday with the figures we saw after the game.

“The club hasn’t seen numbers like that this season.

“Elijah (Adebayo) and Keshi (Anderson) haven’t been doing the distances that they did on Saturday all season, that’s because there are covering bodies when players go down.

“People run further for their friend than they do a stranger, so it’s about getting those bonds going – it’s nice to be a part of something like this.”