Prior to the 1-1 draw with Walsall , Swindon had taken one point and scored one goal from five games in League Two as they slid from second to 17th in the division.

But a switch in system has led to improvements , with that promising draw followed up by a momentous 3-1 win at previously unbeaten Barnet, and the week culminated with a 0-0 draw at Bristol Rovers that could easily have been another win had Town taken their chances.

For the game, Rovers manager Steve Evans selected a deliberately physical line-up, with the home team playing 82 long balls and attempting 35 crosses during the 90 minutes.

But Swindon managed to come through that with their second clean sheet of the season, and Holloway was especially pleased that his team were not intimidated.

He said: “I think we really stood up to the physical challenge, and I think that that is a huge thing in League Two – and if their other centre forward [Ellis Harrison] had not been injured, they would have been even more physical. I thought we did really well.

“If you were playing as the right centre-back and then had to be the central one, then that is a totally different role, and we had Kaelan [Majekodunmi] doing that after Steph [Negru] has been outstanding, so Kaelan was excellent.

“We have kept a clean sheet, we could have scored some chances, our fans were great and did not stop singing, and we did not back down in a derby, which is really important, especially with all of the injuries that we have.”

Following the draw with Walsall, Holloway said that he could “see [Miguel] Freckletons everywhere” , referring to the struggles he had coping with the pressure early in his Town tenure.

Swindon have been working as a group with a sports psychologist once a week, as well as some players individually, and Holloway believes that is paying off .

"Once you see this group confident, you'll see more and more from us." #STFC https://t.co/JyynIX9gL7

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He said: “We look like we believe that we might be able to do this. They are starting to believe that they are a team.

“I think that is down to them and the coaching that we are doing on a Thursday afternoon, doing something totally different where Claire [a sports psychologist working with Swindon] is getting them to think as a group. I think that you can see it.

“I am very proud of Swindon Town today. I was proud watching us, proud of our fans, and proud of my team.

“We could have been better, and if one of those chances had gone in, then I think that would have been the body blow that we needed.

“It was a bit like Gladiator in the end, where he got stabbed under his vest, but he still beat Caesar.

“Mentally, it is tough for any club that has expectations on them, but our boys are being trained in how to deal with that, and I think we will get there.”