SWINDON Town manager Richie Wellens says there is only so much he can do in regards to improving his side’s proficiency in front of goal, instead putting the onus onto his players.

Town drew a blank at home to Port Vale on Saturday as their latest League Two clash ended in a 0-0 draw.

Since thrashing Colchester United 3-0 on March 2, Town have scored just once in three games – a goals return that has yielded just one point.

With Town’s push for a place in the play-offs stuttering at a crucial stage, Wellens has been left to bemoan the lack of killer instinct within his side.

When asked post-match against Vale if there were any steps he could take from the touchline to improve his players’ ruthlessness in front of goal, Wellens said: “As a manager, you can’t.

“Even the best manager in the world, Pep Guardiola, will coach his team up until the final 18 yards, but then it is up to the players.

“He doesn’t coach Sergio Aguero to do certain things, or David Silva or Leroy Sane – you trust them.

“You work out what the opposition do, you pick a formation and you work on a lot of stuff to get them in good areas, but then it is up to the individuals to go an express themselves.

“For all our play in the first half, we had no shots and no crosses. We kept turning down the opportunity to shoot or to cross and put them under pressure in the 18-yard box.

“It is up to individuals to take responsibility to take their efforts, to show more flair, to express themselves.

“I am not a manager who holds people back and is very rigid and demanding of my wide men and strikers, telling them to defend.

“I picked four players to really go and express themselves and win the game. Unfortunately, it has not quite happened for them.”

Although Town had eight efforts on goal against the Valiants, none of those were on target.

Wellens has no problem with inaccurate shooting from his players as it at least gives them a chance of getting the ball in the back of the net.

“I am sick of saying it. If they have a shot and it goes 50 yards over the bar and ends up in Oxford, I am not going to have a go at them,” said Wellens.

“You never know, you can shoot through bodies and it can take a deflection, but if you don’t shoot, you are not ever going to score goals.

“I will start hammering it home to the strikers to start shooting because the only way you get to the higher part of the league is by scoring goals.”