JORDAN Lyden says the Swindon Town squad has its sights firmly set on reaching the EFL Trophy final after a 1-0 victory at home to Newport County on Tuesday night.

Lyden netted the only goal of the game just short of the hour mark as Swindon maintained their 100 per cent record in the group stage to finish top.

A much-changed Town side had already beaten notable opposition in Arsenal Under-21s and League One promotion-chasers Plymouth Argyle prior to edging out their League Two rivals.

With a home draw guaranteed in the first knockout round and two wins already at the County Ground in this competition, Lyden believes the pre-tournament goal of reaching the final is perfectly attainable.

The Town midfielder said: “We saw how good of a group we have – not just our stating XI, the regular subs, or the natural squad, even the players that haven’t been involved that much, like me.

“We feel we’re good enough to go far in this competition, and that’s the mindset we have to have.

“It’s a positive mindset and a winning mentality that stems even from training. You always want to go and do your best and win – long may that continue.”

Town’s progression to the knockout stage marks the first time since 2017-18 that the feat has been achieved as the competition regularly took a backseat in terms of priority during the intermediate years.

Despite the competition having included Premier League academies since 2016, many still look down their noses at the EFL Trophy because of theories surrounding the planned introduction of B-teams to league football.

Lyden stated he does not see it that way, however, and believes it is a criminally over-looked opportunity for a lower-league team to reach a Wembley final.

The Australian said: “Some people look at (the EFL Trophy) and put a bit of a downer on it, but at the same time I see it as a trip to Wembley.

“Not many people play at Wembley in their careers, and that’s what we’ve had drilled into us from the start.

“That’s why we’ve gone out to win each game, and that’s why we’ve won three out of three – long may that continue.

“The next round is at the end of the month, and it’s four games until Wembley.

“It’s a great opportunity for all of us to get minutes, not just the young players, so I feel it’s a good competition to get game time and potentially reach Wembley.”