SWINDON Town forward Kaiyne Woolery believes this weekend’s FA Cup clash against near-neighbours Cheltenham Town has an added layer of excitement to it.

The close proximity and the fact that both teams are just a couple of wins away from potentially travelling to a Premier League giant meant this latest west-country derby was described as special by the 24-year-old.

Add to that Richie Wellens’ jesting comments surrounding Cheltenham being strong favourites due to Swindon’s history with their fellow Robins and the FA Cup, and you can see why Woolery is looking forward to a trip to the Jonny-Rocks Stadium even more than usual.

Not only is there a second round spot up for grabs, but Swindon have been given a second chance in three months to scoop their first ever win away at Cheltenham at the ninth attempt.

Even a 1-0 victory might go some way to healing the scars that formed five years and a day ago when Swindon were embarrassed 5-0 in the FA Cup first round.

Woolery should be given a chance to help eradicate those memories with a win as injuries to wingers Lloyd Isgrove and Keshi Anderson have opened up a lane for the former Wigan man to start games again.

Whether the 24-year-old starts up front or out wide this afternoon remains to be seen, but wherever he plays, Woolery said he will be gunning for a win to give fans another big day out.

He said: “You always want to win cup games, but it’s a local derby as well, so that makes it a bit more special than a normal game.

“The pressure is off you a little bit, but you know that if you win a couple of games you can get one of the big boys and it’s a good day out for everyone.

“The pressure is off, but you still want to do as well as you can because that winning mentality is always there.

“Hopefully we can win a couple of games to give the fans a game to look forward to.”

Often appearing short of confidence in spells since joining the club in August 2017, Woolery revealed he had been given a boost of confidence from manager Richie Wellens in recent weeks.

The Town boss believes Woolery is the best header of the ball at the club and as such, the pacey forward said he is now the target of long clearances so Eoin Doyle and Jerry Yates can focus on getting into scoring positions.

Woolery said: “The manager has said that if we’re going to go long, hit me instead of other people because he thinks I’m the best in the air.

“And when we’re defending corners, I’m often in positions where it’s easier for me to get my head on it and help the team.

“I knew I could jump high and I knew I could head it.

“It’s a lot easier to defend than it is to attack, but I’ve shown those qualities in training, so that’s why the manager tells me to do those jobs.”