AFTER Swindon’s winless run stretched to its sixth game on Tuesday night, the gap to the League Two trapdoor is worryingly starting to narrow.

With six games left and Town on 51 points, there should be no need to worry, but with the gap now down to seven points and the squad looking as motivated as an Oxford fan after a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final, nerves are creeping in.

One more win in the remaining games should be enough to seal the League One deal for next season, but it’s a discussion we shouldn’t be having. A month ago we looked more like a top-six side than a team even contemplating their safety.

One of the reasons for the sudden slump in form has been the absence of the club’s number 20.

There’s no doubt losing the quality of Jonathan Obika in Town’s frontline over Easter has been obvious to all watching Luke Williams’ side.

Over the past six months, Obika has turned himself from a bit-part striker into a key player, in Town’s first 19 games of the season he only made five starting appearances, but since December he’s only missed four games because of recent injuries.

A huge amount of credit needs to be laid at Obika’s door for making himself vital to the team, but as with all decent strikers in League One, many Championship clubs will come sniffing around during the summer for both him and Nicky Ajose.

Our ability to keep hold of our deadly duo will be vital for any success next season.

Jermaine Hylton has stepped in to partner Ajose up front and has struggled to make the same impact we all witnessed last year, leading to questions over whether he is good enough for League One.

I believe he’s someone with a future at Town.

As last season drew to a close I had high hopes for the 22-year-old striker, although it’s fair to say he hasn’t reached those standards due to a lack of game time.

That has resulted in him looking short of match fitness and lacking the same qualities we saw 12 months ago.

But I’m certain that if he’s given a chance in Obika’s absence, he will not only show he deserves to be playing at this level but can also play a big part next season.

Follow me on Twitter @danwjonson

Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here

Readers who submit articles must agree to our terms of use. The content is the sole responsibility of the contributor and is unmoderated. But we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention. If you wish to complain about this article, contact us here