AFTER enduring a nightmarish run coming into the busy Christmas schedule, Swindon Town fans couldn’t have been expecting the results David Flitcroft’s side produced as they picked up nine points out of 12 to get the club’s promotion bid back on track.

Wins against Crewe Alexandra, Notts County and Barnet have taken Town into ninth in League Two, one point from the play-offs and just a few points from the top three with a game in hand over their promotion rivals.

It’s a great but unexpected place for Town to find themselves in after the disaster that unfolded at the County Ground on Boxing Day.

Town’s second-half performance against Luton Town took me straight back to Wembley in 2015 when Preston North End tore us to shreds in the League One play-off final.

A mixture of Hatters boss Nathan Jones reacting better to his opposite number tactically and Flitcroft’s players letting him down contributed to a Boxing Day all Town fans will want to forget.

Despite that embarrassment, Flitcroft and his side bounced back quickly by making some changes to their formation.

Out went the 4-2-3-1, replaced with a 3-5-2, and against both County and Barnet it was successful, resulting in six points and a welcome return to form.

But it’s important Town don’t rest easy on these results and keep building. With the January transfer window open, it’s time for chairman Lee Power to help his manager and bring in some knew faces to improve the squad.

A new centre back is an absolute must for this month. Dion Conroy will likely miss most of the season so we need extra quality to challenge Olly Lancashire, Matt Preston and Chris Robertson for a starting place in the new system and also some competition for newly-introduced wing-backs Kyle Knoyle and Elis Iandolo.

Despite an upturn in form since Boxing Day, the heart of midfield is still crying out for a new creative midfielder to replace the void left by the injured Timi Elsnik.

And another target man to lead the line is also required with Harry Smith’s loan spell from Millwall coming to an end despite his positive effect on the side.