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PRESS CONFERENCE LIVE: Walsall FC v Swindon Town

Good morning and thank you for joining us for what will be Swindon Town's last pre-match press conference of the season should they fail to clinch their place in the League Two playoffs this weekend. Join Total Sport Swindon's Ryan Walker from 8.25am as he speaks to Swindon boss Ben Garner.

8:54AM

Garner on excitement for tomorrow:

"We want to win the game and we would celebrate and be delighted if we win tomorrow. But that's not it, we want to go beyond that and reach Wembley. We have to go one step at a time and can't get ahead of ourselves. We normally work on a two-week schedule and are only on one-week at the moment to focus on tomorrow's match and then go from there."

8:52AM

Garner on pre-season promotion talk:

"[The message from Clem] was literally just staying in the league. We know it will be a tough season but we need to stay up and start putting things in place. The word promotion hasn't been mentioned all season if I'm honest. We had our own aims within the group and our own ambitions from pretty early on. What we set ourselves inside the four walls was very different and the players have that ambition."

8:50AM

Garner on Jonny Williams 'best team in the league' comments:

"No [I don't agree with him] because we aren't top of the league. The best team is at the top and that's where would have liked to have been. But I think on our day we can beat anyone and we have proven that across the season and want to prove it again over these closing stages. With the hand we have been dealt this season, the group has done fantastically well and we need to focus on tomorrow and win that game. If we go into those playoffs we won't fear anyone and will back ourselves."

8:42AM


Garner on promotion situation: "If you look at what the situation was you would say it was a miracle from where we were. You look at the amount of talent we have in the football club and I have seen the process and the amount of hard work that has gone in by everyone."

8:40AM

Garner on Charlie Austin rumours:

"I know he is highly regarded here and a proven goalscorer. If you want to pay his wages then we would be delighted to have him here. I don't see it being a possibility unless Charlie wants to get in touch and discuss lowering his wages."

8:39AM

Garner on Swindon's set-piece defending:

"We were disappointed with the goal last week and we need to do things differently to other things because if you look at our starting 11 last week we are a very small team. We probably have the smallest midfield three in EFL history so it is about doing things differently. It is important that we defend set-pieces well."

8:38AM

Garner on Walsall:

"They have won 5 out of the last 6 at home and have a really experienced manager in Michael Flynn. I'm sure he will have a lot of optimism in building for next season and it will be a tough game. They provide lots of challenges with good quality in their squad, good characters, and a really good manager. It will be a tough game, their home form has been really good has as our away form."

8:37AM

Garner on away support tomorrow:

"It is fantastic, especially seeing how many were purchased before we were in this position. The atmosphere has been special recently and to have this many going tomorrow, it could be a special day. From the very first game away at Scunthorpe I thought there was a bond between the group and the supporters and we have felt that all season."

8:35AM

Garner on different outcomes:

"I always thought we could get into the playoffs but it is nice to still be in with a chance of automatic promotion. We just need to take care of our performance and not worry about what is going on around the country. For me it is generally a distraction [if I know what's going on elsewhere]. You can come unstuck with that and we are always better off going on to attack and in the game."

8:34AM

Garner on players' nerves:

"There is a sense of excitement and the confidence seems good. We are in a really good place as we should be given the form we are in."

8:33AM

Garner on this week:

"It has been a normal week for me and has been a good week. We had the awards presentation during the week but there has been no difference in the players coming in and how they are training. I always look for red flags and there haven't been any. They are a sensible group who train with good intensity and we have managed to get everyone what they need this week."

8:32AM

Garner on injuries:

"EVeryone is fine and JoJo Wollacott is progressing well with his shoulder. JoJo isn;t a million miles away now and it is about getting confidence in his own mind."

8:31AM

Ben Garner has now joined us.

8:29AM

Ben Garner will be with us shortly.

8:27AM

And here is how the League Two table looks as we go into the final match of the season...

8:25AM

So with just one game of the League Two season remaining, Swindon still have three potential outcomes achievable to them.

  1. Secure automatic promotion
  2. Secure a place in the playoffs
  3. Miss out on the playoffs and remain in League Two.
8:21AM

Good morning Swindon fans and welcome to what could be the last pre-match press conference of the season as Swindon prepare to host Walsall. We hope it won't be as Ben Garner joins us at 8.30am.

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