Swindon Town midfielder Canice Carroll remains optimistic that his team can still reach the League Two play-offs

Town were held to a goalless draw at Newport County on Tuesday, a result that cut the gap to the top seven to three points with five games to go.

Carroll himself has been involved in a Football League promotion before – ironically with Town’s bitter rivals Oxford United during the 2015-16 season.

While the 20-year-old did not feature in United’s first-team squad that year, he insists having players around him that know how promotion-winning teams tick can inspire a late play-off push.

He said: “To reach the play-offs will be tough, but football is tough. We’ll keep working hard.

“This is a group that can churn results out. The lads have won promotions, they’ve been there and done it.

“It’s helpful to learn from them and take stuff from them, especially in training and during games. It’s good to have that balance of experienced professionals and young lads.

“We’re not in the play-offs, but we’ve still got five games left. The kind of person that I am, I still believe that we can get there.”

Carroll was one of Richie Wellens’ first signings in the January transfer window, as he joined on loan from Brentford alongside teenager Ben House, who moved from Reading.

He has made 15 appearances since, and scored one goal in Town’s 3-0 win over Colchester United at the start of March.

The Republic of Ireland youth international says his experience at the County Ground thus far has helped him develop his game.

He said: “My time at Swindon has been a great learning curve for me. I’ve got games under my belt and I feel like I’m not viewing my time so far as a failure.

“The manager wants us to play, he expresses to us that he doesn’t want us to not stay rigid. He wants us to move into different pockets.

“If that means that I have to drop out for one of the forwards to get on the ball, then we will do it.

“Everyone knows we need a base layer to work from.”