MICHAEL Timlin has ridden a career rollercoaster at Swindon Town.

After a couple of loan spells in 2006 and 2007, the Irishman signed on at the Robins full-time from Fulham in May 2008 and has since found himself in and out of the team, in a variety of positions, on a regular basis.

Having spent time at Southend this term, the 25-year-old returned to the County Ground in November and has not looked back since – putting in some of his most impressive performances in a red shirt.

Following the 4-2 victory at Charlton on Monday evening, the midfielder sat down with Advertiser sports writer SAM MORSHEAD to discuss how he feels about his own game and his team’s chances of making the play-offs in the second half of the season.

SAM MORSHEAD: It’s been an interesting season for you, having been out on loan and then coming back straight into the first team. How do you feel about your own season?

MICHAEL TIMLIN: I think I’ve improved considerably this year.

I’ve been consistent in the small amount of games I’ve played and I’ve put in a decent performance.

I think going out to Southend has definitely benefited me. It was worthwhile going out for that month-and-a-half and getting some games.

I’d like to think in the games that I’ve played in so far I’ve put in a good enough performance to please the gaffer, and the fans will be happy with me.

SM: Obviously there is a lot of competition for places this season in the midfield at Town, with Jonathan Douglas, David Prutton, Simon Ferry, Will Evans and yourself all vying for two places. How have you found that?

MT: There’s a really good, healthy competition this year and maybe last year we didn’t have that.

We didn’t have as many players as we do now pushing each other to be going for those two or three spots.

It’s only going to benefit the team if everyone is on form and pushing each other for the start.

SM: The first half to the campaign has been quite tough, is there a definitive aim in the dressing room for the rest of the season?

MT: There’s no point looking at games in advance. We’ve got to make sure we do well in the next game and that’s Oldham.

Once we start getting away with ourselves with the games in advance we might take our eye off the game coming up.

We have to keep that good mindframe, stay positive, stay together and keep working hard.

SM: What is the general feeling of the squad at the moment; everyone must be pretty buoyed after Charlton?

MT: The spirit is really good after the result against Charlton, and since I’ve come back from Southend it’s generally been quite good.

The squad is a good squad; we’ve got some good players. It’s down to ourselves that we’re in this position and it’s down to ourselves to get ourselves out of it - only we can do it. As long as we stay positive, and hopefully the fans stay behind us, then there’s no reason why we can’t jump up to in and around the top of the table.

SM: But you can understand why the fans may be feeling a little hard done by after the success of 2009/10.

MT: It’s tremendously frustrating for a fan when they see the team do so well and then go and not do so well.

It’s frustrating for ourselves too when that happens.

We’re taking it onboard that they are frustrated and we’d just like to say we are frustrated ourselves. But it’s only us that’s to blame and we have to put it right.

We’d like to think, starting from the Charlton game, we have done and hopefully we can show we’re starting to get that bit of consistency.

SM: You must have felt a little left-out earlier this season, but you’ve come back with a bang.

From a personal point of view, you must be happy?

MT: I’m delighted being here.

I could have taken the easy option and asked the gaffer to stay at Southend because I was playing games.

But I’m back, I got myself in the team and I’m really happy with my performances at the moment.