WHILE Swindon Town’s recent goal scoring exploits have grabbed the headlines, defender Darren Ward is proud to see the players’ hard work also paying dividends at the opposite end of the field.

The Robins have scored 14 goals in their last three home games in a trio of impressive victories, with two for Andy Williams and one each for James Collins and Raffa De Vita ensuring their latest success in Saturday’s 4-0 victory against Carlisle The game also saw Town keep their fourth consecutive clean sheet, and experienced defender Ward, who has formed a superb partnership alongside Joe Devera, puts it all down to hard work.

“We have worked very hard on the training pitch so to see the results and clean sheets come on a matchday is great for us,” he said.

“We have very long sessions here, and I have been a pro for 15 years and I have never known a club train as hard.

“But we all enjoy it to and we have to put it in to get the rewards we have been getting recently. It is nice to see the fans smiling too and so are we, because in any industry it is good when you put the work in and you get the result you want.

“All we can do is keep winning and give our best, and it is no good looking two, three, or four games ahead, it has to be game by game and we see where it takes us.”

The Carlisle game was Ward’s first appearance since agreeing a permanent move to the County Ground following a loan spell from Millwall, and the defender admitted it was an easy decision to make the move.

“I’m delighted to sign here and I am happy now playing my football here. I have had to dig in and work hard on my game, and I am very happy to be doing what I love doing,” he said.

“I have worked hard to get my wife and two children settled in the area, which they hopefully are now, and signing is not just pulling on the jersey on a Saturday, it is about getting everything in place to get your football and your life as comfortable as possible.”

In a week dominated by speculation regarding the future of the club and the opening of the January transfer window, Ward is keen to ensure he and the rest of the squad’s focus remains on the pitch, rather than off it.

“We just have to focus on our jobs and make sure we are not sidetracked, which can easily happen because there is a lot going on at the moment around the club,” he said.

“We just hear the speculation, and we are interested, but we don’t talk about it all an awful lot.

“We don’t know what is going on and who might be coming in, and that is all up to the manager and the people behind the scenes, so all we can do is keep working hard.”