Town left-back Joe Skarz is hoping that his recent impressive form will be enough to keep him in Stan Ternent's first-team for this weekend's game at Swindon.

The 19-year old defender broke into the side against Northampton in late September and has since impressed with his mature performances, but admitted to htafc.com that there is no room for complacency in Ternent's squad.

He explained: "Obviously I didn't play on Tuesday, but the team was quite different. I think I'm doing ok at the minute, so I'm just looking to keep my place for Saturday. We've got a few injuries so we don't really know what the team is going to be, but we'll come down on Friday morning and find out what the manager's team selection is. It's going to be interesting!

"A lot of the other lads played on Tuesday and although we lost, quite a few of them did well. None of the players know about the team and having a twenty man squad, nobody really knows what will happen. Whatever the team is, we will go out on Saturday and try to win the game.

"It's good for me at the moment. At the start of the season I wasn't playing and I had Robbie and Unsy in front of me which I wasn't happy about, but I just concentrated on training hard and impressing the coaching staff in the reserve friendlies and games that we had. I got my chance against Northampton and I haven't looked back; now I'm trying to perform consistently well so that the Gaffer keeps picking me.

"We've got such a big squad here and every single player possesses real quality, so when you've got the shirt it's up to you to keep it.

"I think every young footballer has to deal with being in and out of the side as you are still improving. I think the Gaffer has said this, but sometimes as a young footballer you do progress and then take a step back - I'm not sure why. You just have to focus on performing week after week so that you're in the team."

Skarz, the 2007 League One Apprentice of the Year, didn't feature in any of the first eight games of the current season but could take heart from the fact that one of manager Ternent's first actions upon joining the Club was to offer him a long-term deal.

"Andy Ritchie had already offered me a contract but it hadn't been sorted out and when the Gaffer came in a few of the younger lads were released, but he offered me a three year deal and that gave me a massive lift. I wanted to come into the season flying after a good pre-season but that didn't happen, but now I'm back in I just need to prove to him that I'm the right choice."

The left-back explained that he is enjoying life under his new boss.

"We do a lot of tactical work under the manager in training, like working on our shape. We play a lot of small-sided games as well, but he likes to make sure that if you are playing you know exactly what you are doing. It's quite competitive at times as everyone is vying for places and I enjoy it - no two days are the same.

"We get quite a bit of information about the opposition - we know what formation they will be playing and who you might be up against as early as Tuesday, so we get a good insight."

Skarz was introduced as a second-half substitute during the midweek Johnstone's Paint Trophy game at Darlington, where he was used in an unfamiliar attacking role.

"The Gaffer just told me to stay up, so it was a nice change - it's usually me who is stuck marking two players!" Joe mused. "I'm not really a winger, but I was quite happy to push up and I got a few balls in. I should have scored with a header but I just looped it into the goalkeeper's arms."

Next up for Joe and co is Swindon on Saturday and he feels that if the team can continue their recent promising league form, they could return from Wiltshire with a maximum points haul.

"As the manager has been saying, although we haven't won against Oldham and Leicester we think we have been playing well and it's obviously good to match the teams that are first and second in the table. Our aim now is to go down to Swindon and put in another good, solid performance and to come away with all three points."

Get your ticket for Swindon by calling the Galpharm Ticket Office on 0870 44 44 552!