DAVID Flitcroft will tell his Swindon Town troops they cannot afford to switch off for a second as they look to put their best foot forward on home turf tonight.

The Energy Check County Ground has been far from a happy hunting ground for Town so far this season, with Flitcroft’s side winning just four times in 13 matches in front of their own supporters.

Home defeats at the hands of Lincoln City in October and Newport County last month were both inflicted by a solitary goal that came via a header from a corner.

Town are back at SN1 tonight when they entertain Colchester United in League Two and Flitcroft says his team need no better examples of how costly a momentary loss of focus can be.

“The lapses in concentration have disappointed me,” said Flitcroft.

“Newport didn’t really take us apart, Lincoln didn’t really create a lot of chances, but set-pieces are the one thing that’s really surprised me “Going 10 games without conceding from a set-piece and then in five games, conceding three, that has been disappointing, to say the least.

“We have stressed that to the players on the training ground and made it a focus of what we do.

“That individual responsibility when we go out there on Friday will be something the players want to embrace and will need to embrace.”

Town are looking to arrest a run of four successive defeats this evening, although the overall outlook remains a positive one. Flitcroft’s men are eighth in the table and only outside of the play-off places on goal difference.

Just six points separate third-placed Accrington Stanley from Newport down in 12th, and Flitcroft knows that if fewer errors mean for an extra point here and there, it could make a big difference in the long run.

“The table is so tight that it can change quite dramatically at times,” said Flitcroft.

“It’s about being focussed over the 46 games and knowing what the objective is over the 46 games and making sure we have got enough in our armoury to win the percentage of games we are going to need and not lose the volume we have done, certainly at home.

“It is only really Notts County and Luton, and potentially Accrington, who have been really consistent.

“The games they have drawn has kept them producing the maximum points total they can.

“When I look at us and our inconsistency and the defeats we’ve had – Notts County turn those into draws and that’s what we have to do moving forward into the second stage of the season.”