Can Woolery's return help take Swindon to the top?

After Kaiyne Woolery returned to the action with a goal to help Swindon secure victory over Plymouth in the mid-weeks Checkatrade Trophy match, TotalSport Swindon’s Ryan Walker gives his analysis on whether the injury-hit striker can help take Town to the top.

Having been at Swindon Town since the start of last season, when then manager David Flitcroft signed the striker for £350,000 from Wigan, Kaiyne Woolery has endured a tumultuous time during his stop-start STFC career so far. 

But now back in the side and regaining full fitness, the striker is hoping to make a big impact on the Wiltshire side’s promotion race.

Returning from a serious knee injury that left the 23-year-old ‘learning to walk again’, the long-term absentee showed exactly the type of difference he can make to Swindon’s attacking line with a well-taken goal against Plymouth Tuesday evening.

A difficult season so far has seen STFC struggle to mid-table mediocrity with just seventeen points to their name seeing the club languishing in 13th position of the League Two table. 

And with the side struggling for goals, just one from their last three league games, Woolery’s reintroduction comes at a crucial time for the under-pressure Phil Brown.

Rewind a season and the signing of Woolery brought with it excitement and a prospect of promotion as the striker joined ranks at SN1. But with just five goals from thirty-seven appearances, the Englishman struggled to find the form his arrival brought with it.

Blistering pace and a bomb of a right foot make the forward a big threat to most opposition defences, and with plenty of rest and recovery behind him, big things are expected from Woolery on his return to first-team game time. 

Competition for places means Woolery will have to force his way past both Elijah Adebayo and Marc Richards for his place in the Swindon starting XI, but with the pair failing to find the back of the net on their last three outings, upcoming matches provide the marksman with the perfect opportunity to force his way into the squad.

Previous stints at Bolton, Wigan, and Notts County highlight the player's ability to perform at the top echelons of British football and with a keenness on earning promotion back to League One, Woolery has a big part to play in Swindon colours this season. 

Kaiyne Woolery is a player who Swindon fans are yet to see the best of, but the quality he brings to Town’s attack may provide the catalyst needed for a playoff charge. His free-flowing attacking style will undoubtedly contribute to this and fans should expect, over time, to see him become a regular name on the team sheet.

Today’s trip to the high-flying Exeter City will be Swindon Town’s biggest test of the season so far, but Kaiyne Woolery will be hoping to mark his appearance with a goal on what looks set to be an afternoon full of high-quality entertainment.