PETER CLARKE will be looking to put the brakes on his old teammate Billy Paynter tomorrow.
Town’s skipper and Swindon’s in-form striker played side by side at Port Vale and then Southend United.
Scouser Paynter, 25, is enjoying the most prolific season of his career, having taken his tally to 19 with a double in Tuesday’s 4-2 home win over Oldham.
He was also on target when Swindon beat Town 2-1 at the County Ground back in November.
The Wiltshire side were just coming into form at that time, and head into the big Galpharm contest unbeaten in nine League I games and having won six of them.
Paynter, who has also been deployed on the right wing in the past, made his Port Vale debut at 16 under former Town boss Brian Horton, scoring 34 goals before joining Hull in November 2005.
Having netted three times in nine outings during an initial loan spell at the KC Stadium, the goals dried up after the move was made permanent, and he joined Southend early in the 2006-07 season.
Again, Paynter struggled to count at Roots Hall, but he found his touch again during a loan stint at Bradford in the second half of that campaign.
He joined Swindon that summer, and has really come into his own, forming a dangerous partnership with Charlie Austin, brought in from non-league Poole by Swindon boss Danny Wilson in October.
Austin, 20, netted the other Swindon goal in that Wiltshire win over Town and now has 11 for the campaign after notching against Oldham this week.
“I’ve got a good partnership with Charlie and we’re both scoring goals,” said Paynter.
“And we’ve got the experience and power of Vince Pericard to help us out as well.”
Paynter added: “Whereas last season I was playing a lot deeper in service for Simon Cox (now at West Bromwich Albion), this year the gaffer’s told me to push on up and play higher up the pitch and it’s paid off.
“Now I’m confident, I’m scoring goals and I feel as though I can continue to do that.”
