STAYING patient will be key to emerging with three points against Yeovil this afternoon, according to Swindon Town defender Luke Woolfenden.

The 20-year-old – on loan from Championship club Ipswich Town – has produced a string of fine performances in recent weeks and paired well with Dion Conroy.

Both Conroy and Woolfenden’s upturn in form has matched that of the team’s, as Richie Wellens’ men have given themselves a realistic chance of poaching a play-off spot after claiming 24 points since the turn of the year.

However, Town have often struggled to break down teams that have been prepared to come to the County Ground and staunchly defend their goal.

Woolfenden believes his teammates have become better at overcoming that game plan since Wellens has been in charge.

He said: “It’s just a matter of being clinical because a lot of teams. Since the gaffer has come in, teams have come here, sat back and let us keep the ball.

“It’s a matter of being patient with the ball as well, you don’t have to score from every attack, which is what we were trying to do at the start of the season.

“If you keep the ball, tire them out and keep moving it side to side, then a chance will come, you’ve just got to be clinical enough to take it.

“Patience goes a long way. They (the fans) can boo if they want, but it doesn’t matter to me.”

With seven games to play, Town are four points off a play-off place with their game in hand against Newport on the horizon.

Although Town are now within touching distance of their immediate goal, Woolfenden is fully aware that his team have been in this position before and not taken advantage.

He said: “(The table) looks better now, especially for us, and once we get the game in hand out of the way it will give us a better idea of where we’re at.

“At the moment, it’s just a matter of not getting carried away because not that long ago we were in the same position and lost two in a row.

“We have to take each game as it comes and hopefully play as well as we did against Bury.

“If you’ve got it in your head that you need to win then you can thrive off the pressure, so I don’t think it’s a bad thing either way.”