SWINDON Wildcats forward Luc Johnson says the Link Centre men need to be on top of their game for the second leg of their National Cup semi-final against Telford Tigers.

After the opening leg in Swindon last Wednesday the tie stands at 3-3, with the second leg due to take place this evening in Shropshire.

Swindon skipper Jan Kostal is due to line-up for Aaron Nell’s side after the club rested the captain for their last three outings on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

While the score suggests it is all to play for, 20-year-old Johnson, who has notched six times this year, says it will be a tough trip.

“We’ve had a little dip in form over the last couple of weeks but we know that we’ve got nothing to lose so we have saved it for going into Telford,” said Johnson, who joined the club from Milton Keynes Lightning in the summer.

“We’re ready to leave everything out on the ice. I know how well we can do in bigger games and this one won’t be easy but I know we can get it done.

“If we are going to get the result that we need, we will have to stay disciplined and do all the small things well.

“They’ve got some experienced players who have played in the top level for a long time so we can’t be too passive on them.”

Johnson has hit a rich vein of form recently, with two goals over weekend building up to the midweek cup clash.

While that is a boost, the youngster believes the return of Kostal could have a huge impact on the outcome of tonight’s game.

“It’s a huge boost to have Jan back he is one of our most experienced players, our captain and a huge part of our team,” said Johnson, who is pleased to be chipping in with goals.

“You can see this year we’ve used him in forward and in defence. To be able to have someone who has played as many years in Czech as he has is a huge assets for any team so I’m glad we have him on ours.

“I think we’ve done well so far, obviously it would have still been nice for us to be contending for the league still but we have a good chance of bringing silverware home at the end of the season which our focus is now on.

“It’s great to be able to help out and get some goals on the board recently but my main goal is to be solid for the team and help them win anyway I can “I have found my first season here good so far. I’ve been used in all situations over the year and feel like this has benefited my overall game.”

Should the Wildcats prevail this evening, they will go on to face Sheffield Steeldogs in the final of the competition.

Following the cup action, Nell’s side will then turn their attention to Saturday’s away clash with Basingstoke Bison, before welcoming London Raiders to the Link Centre a day later, as they look to keep up their impressive domestic form.