DAVID Flitcroft says every respect will be given to League Two strugglers Barnet this afternoon as Swindon Town look to begin 2018 with a win.

Despite a hefty 5-0 defeat at home to table toppers Luton Town on Boxing Day, Swindon have a real chance of finishing the four-game festive schedule with a hefty nine-point haul.

Town were 3-0 winners away at Crewe Alexandra on December 23 and rounded off their 2017 fixtures with a 1-0 success at home to second-placed Notts County on Saturday.

Flitcroft takes his troops to the Hive Stadium today having already won eight of 11 league matches on the road but the Town manager says nothing will be taken for granted against a Barnet side who are battling to climb out of the relegation zone.

“I have not looked at the fixtures or possible points, we have just got a game against Barnet that we are looking at,” said Flitcroft.

“Our analyst is working on that and we will understand how they played on Saturday and we will work back from that with the players and get them recovered and ready to go again.

“Barnet are a team that will always have an energy going forwards. They have got good front players and they will try to move the ball.

“It’s League Two – Port Vale beat Luton on Saturday, so there are up and down results.

“We have not got to look at that, we have just got to concentrate on the players and make them understand that keeping focus and discipline is the key to any success.”

Flitcroft opted to field an unfamiliar 3-5-2 formation against County last time out and it paid dividends as his side edged to a narrow victory.

After seeing it work so successfully, the Town boss will now give serious consideration to utilising the system on a more regular basis.

“It needed a change after the Luton game, there is no doubt about that and I think the players committed to that,” said Flitcroft.

“It’s about working with the group and making sure we can maintain focus in whatever shape.

“It certainly worked on Saturday and gave us more energy having Ellis (Iandolo) and Kyle (Knoyle) as two wing-backs. I think energy was something the stadium was demanding and I think the players gave them that.”

In the immediate aftermath of the match, Flitcroft reported that the matchday squad which faced County came through with clean bill of health.

However, with his troops now facing a second game in three days, the Swindon boss is well aware of the benefits of rotation.

“If you look at Notts County, they have rotated fantastically well,” said Flitcroft.

“The lads weren’t rested on Saturday, we thought we would try something new and it has given Matt Taylor and Ben Purkiss an opportunity to recover fully from the Luton game and we have got a squad that is ready and fit for selection.”