Paynter: I'm happy to do my bit at Swindon Town

In-form Billy Paynter is revelling in the role of unsung hero as he quietly goes about the business of helping Swindon Town win their battle to beat the drop.

Paynter claimed his 13th goal of the season as Town registered their third straight win at relegation rivals Northampton on Tuesday.

A third hat-trick of the season for prolific marksman Simon Cox, however, left Paynter's Sixfields achievements in the shade – not that the robust frontman is complaining.

He said: "Coxy has been tremendous for us and deserves all the credit he gets. He has shown some stunning form this season and has got a great future in front of him.

"I am just quietly getting on with it and I don't mind being the unsung hero. I just get my head down and concentrate on doing my own job to help the team climb away from the trouble we have been in.

"The gaffer (Danny Wilson) has told me he is happy with what I am doing so that will do for me and it is nice that your contribution is recognised."

Quite. And Paynter's contribution has not gone unnoticed by his teammates either. Cox, who has now plundered an impressive 27 goals this season, also paid tribute to his partner after their four-goal salvo on Tuesday night and Paynter added: "We have formed a decent partnership. We understand each other's movement and complement one another because we are a bit different in our style. I think we have hit it off because we are two players that put the team before any individual achievements."

Town boss Danny Wilson had been scouring the loan market to bolster his attacking options, but a reluctance to break up the Cox/Paynter partnership saw the manager miss out on a Championship striker on deadline day.

The player in question would only come to the County Ground on the back of a guarantee of first-team games – something Wilson was unwilling to offer after watching his first-choice strike pairing rack up 10 goals between them in their last three outings.

"I heard the manager talking about that," said Paynter. "It is nice to hear it because it means Coxy and myself are doing well."

So, too, are the rest of the side. Town travel to struggling Yeovil in search of a fourth straight win after lifting themselves five points clear of the bottom four in the last fortnight.

"I don't think we have been struggling performance-wise for a while," Paynter added. "Results hadn't been going our way until the last few games and I think we are starting to get what we have deserved.

"I think we just needed that first win after a bit of an indifferent run and once we got it against Southend we haven't looked back.

"The gaffer just kept telling us to believe in ourselves and that eventually our efforts would be rewarded."

Another victory at Huish Park will put further distance between Town and the Glovers – currently entrenched in the bottom four after failing to record a win in their last eight games – to leave Wilson's side within touching distance of safety.

"We don't want to talk about what we need to be sure of survival," Paynter insisted. "Let's just get the Yeovil game out of the way first and then concentrate on the next one.

"We still have a job to do and we have to stay focused and professional and I don't think the manager will let us be anything but that."

Jamie Vincent is expected to miss out for a second successive game with a thigh strain and on-loan midfielder Owain Tudur Jones is away on international duty with Wales. Striker Blair Sturrock, meanwhile, has joined Blue Square Premier side Torquay United on loan for the rest of the season.

Swindon (from): P Smith, Brezovan, Amankwaah, J Smith, Greer, Morrison, Jean-Francois, Timlin, Nalis, Easton, Robson-Kanu, McNamee, Marshall, Cox, Paynter, Razak.