Grounds calls for more defensive resilience as Swindon stutter

JONATHAN GROUNDS insisted that clean sheets will come as the team starts to get more familiar with each other following a sixth defeat in eight games at the hands of AFC Wimbledon who ran out 1-0 winners at SN1. Total Sport Swindon's Rajan Hothi spoke to the defender following the defeat.

Joe Pigott continued his promising start to the season as he bagged the visitors only shot on target to condemn Swindon to their first league defeat at the County Ground this season.

Defender Jonathan Grounds felt that despite controlling the game, Swindon didn't do enough to challenge Wimbledon's lead.

"It's difficult to take, we had a lot of the ball without really testing their goalkeeper which is disappointing," he said. 

"We had a crazy seven or eight minutes after their goal in the first-half where we lost control of the game.

"I felt that we were comfortable at the back but we didn't open up that clear-cut chance to equalise and then go on to win it."

After taking the lead, Wimbledon were happy to sit back in two banks of four and allow Town the ball which Swindon worryingly struggled to break down.

Grounds feels Swindon could have done more to combat a theme that he expects to see employed a lot by visiting teams at SN1. 

"We could have possibly moved the ball a bit quicker and get it to our dangerous players higher up the pitch," he stated.

"I feel they were doing good work but a little too deep which meant we still had a line of three that we needed to beat.

"It's something we need to work on as I can imagine a few teams will do that to us as we scored seven goals in the two previous home games.

"Teams will see that we have good starts and score a lot of goals, so it will be a common theme for a lot of teams to do that to us."

Swindon have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their games in all competitions so far this season, and with Town shipping four to the likes of Exeter, and three to Peterborough - after being 1-0 ahead at half-time, the lack of clean sheet is understandably worrying Swindon fans.

However, Grounds insisted that improvements are being made and that the elusive clean sheet will come with time as the team start to jel more.

"It's something I personally want to get in to the team," said Grounds

"Today we have given away the least amount of chances so far, but it's something that we're working on the training ground.

"The more time we spend together, the more communication and more familiar we get, hopefully the clean sheets will come," he continued.

"It's definitely something we need to look at, we worked on things during the week.

"We tried to be higher up the pitch, and not just focussing on the back four, but more as a collective to not let teams do what they want to us.

"That worked a little bit today as we didn't give away as many chances, and hopefully it will carry on that way," he added.

Grounds has struggled for game time in his last two seasons at Birmingham - with a brief loan stint at Bolton during their Championship relegation season being his only form of game time for the past two years. 

The 32-year-old admitted his confidnece had started to disappear, but with more matches under his belt, he is starting to regain his confidence that saw him feature over 160 times in six seasons for Birmingham City. 

"The more games, the better for me," stated Grounds.

"Getting 60 minutes last week, and now two 90 minutes, I feel like I am going to get stronger and more confident.

"Confidence is probably the main thing I've lost within myself, but the more touches in games, the more blocks, the more headers, I feel like I'm going to get better," said Grounds.

"You can do as much work in training as you want, but you can't replicate that intensity in games.

"Bring them on is my message, as the more games I can get, the better for myself,” he said.