STEVE Elliott says he has returned fitter and stronger after an enforced lay-off.

A calf injury kept the Cheltenham Town central defender out of six matches, but he returned to action with a goal in Saturday's 5-0 win at Dagenham and Redbridge and he will keep his place for tonight's home match against AFC Wimbledon (7.45pm).

He spent his time on the sidelines working hard in the gym, and while he would not have chosen to miss any matches he knows that a strong finish to the season would make it all worthwhile.

"It's been frustrating but it's also been a good chance to have a rest, do some work in the gym and get back fit and ready to come back strong for the remaining part of the season," Elliott said.

"Maybe I wasn't getting in the running I should have been before with a lot of games and resting between then.

"But I will keep on top of it now and Wes (Ian Weston) gave me a good blast and I pushed myself.

"I think I reaped the rewards and I want it to keep going for the rest of the season now."

Elliott's second goal of the season was a neat finish after a corner that he tried to attack with his head looped into the air and fell for him in the box.

But it is at other end of the pitch that he does his best work.

He said that his time out of the team also gave him a chance to view matches from a different perspective and he noticed things he may not have spotted when he was in the thick of the action.

"When you are out it gives you time to look at the team and see what needs to be done," Elliott said.

"I was able to go back in, make sure we kept a line defensive high, win those headers and get the boys back on it.

"I could sense a buzz in the dressing room before Saturday's game and I knew we were going to perform.

"It was how I left it when I got injured and we can kick on now.

"The performance seemed a little bit flat against Torquay last week (1-0 defeat), but we started on the front foot and put a marker down on Saturday."