Swindon Town gave their League Two promotion hopes a serious boost over the weekend as they sealed a valuable 2-1 victory over rivals Exeter City at the County Ground.

Eoin Doyle and Hallam Hope were both on target for Richie Wellens' side as they bounced back from their defeat to Colchester by maintaining their four-point lead at the fourth-tier summit ahead of their next clash against Carlisle.

Town will have serious promotion ambitions following their January transfer window which saw them keep hold of key goalscoring duo Doyle and Jerry Yates, and they will now feel confident of their chances during the rest of the season.

However, the County Ground outfit have still experienced a mixed run of form recently after losing two of their last four matches, but Wellens will be hoping his side can eradicate this inconsistency sooner rather than later.

Here, we take a look at three possibilities which could cause Swindon's campaign to take a sour twist...

They fail to fix their complacency problem

Swindon's two recent defeats against Colchester and Newport will have alarmed supporters back in January, but their impressive victory over fellow promotion chasers Exeter will have helped convince fans that their side can go all the way.

However, Wellens' side have been known to show complacency at times this season, and they have had a particular problem of taking the lead in matches before allowing their opponents back into the game and then dropping points.

This was the case in the recent Colchester clash in addition to their matches with Crewe and Forest Green earlier this campaign, and it is an issue they will need to fix in order to ensure their promotion bid remains on track.

Injuries to key attacking men

Swindon performed superbly well in the transfer market to keep hold of Doyle and Yates despite both being initially recalled from their respective League One clubs, and it is now vital they fire on all cylinders during the rest of the term.

The fitness of this key duo will be of paramount importance to Swindon's promotion hopes, and the League Two side must ensure they are looking after Yates and Doyle in order to keep them in their best physical condition.

Wellens does not have too many other strong attacking options he can call upon if this pairing is out of action, so the Town boss must be careful in managing these two prolific attackers' fitness.

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Rivals making the most of games in hand

 

This final possibility is actually out of Swindon's control, but it could still have a significant effect on their promotion chances given the tightness of proceedings at the top of the League Two table.

Swindon may be occupying the summit at present, but it should be remembered that a number of sides below them have played less games, and it could seriously affect the promotion picture if these games in hand are won.

The likes of Crewe, Plymouth and Exeter could all close the gap on Town if they win these matches, and this means Swindon cannot afford any slip-ups in order to maintain their promotion charge.