It's a little-known statistical fact that no United player has played more minutes this season than Simon Clist.

With the exception of just sixteen minutes against Kidderminster ten days ago the dynamic midfielder has played every minute of the Yellows' first team campaign this season, scoring four goals and providing a constant engine in the middle of the park. Having played so many games already this season and with many more set to come thick and fast over the next two months you'd think that Clisty would be close to breaking point, but when asked how he's feeling after playing so many fixtures his response is one that suggests otherwise.

"I'm feeling alright at the moment. I'm normally one of the players who has to play the most games throughout the course of a season, but luckily I'm a pretty fit lad and can handle it without too many problems. I'm not too old yet so I've hopefully got a few more years before I really start to feel it!

"It helps that we do quite a lot of recovery work here. We're in on Sunday's after we play on a Saturday so that we're ready for midweek games, which obviously there are going to be a lot of over the next two months, and that usually entails quite a lot of stretching and ice baths to make sure that we're fit and raring to go."

Since arriving from Forest Green Rovers almost exactly one year ago the midfielder has failed to start just one game for the U's, though this was purely down to an agreement that prevented him from appearing against his former club last season. As you might expect, Simon has been pleased with his level of inclusion over the past twelve months.

"To have started every game that I've been available for is fantastic. I want to play in every game possible and I want to be a part of everything that the club is doing with regards to progressing and moving forward, and while I do get niggles here and there it usually seems to be things that I can play through without too much hassle or risk. I know my limits and I'm always working on making sure that I recover properly between matches, and so far that seems to have served me quite well."

With the return of Chris Hargreaves to the United squad Simon has seen his attacking opportunities increase over recent games. Indeed, it was his headed knock-down that resulted in the Yellows opening the scoring against Luton seven days ago, while he was also keen to move towards the opposition box in Saturday's game against Histon. Has Greavsie's return afforded him a little more attacking licence?

"Greavsie being in the side does give me a little more freedom to move forward and try to get things going, and as a player it's good to know that he's going to be behind you to mop up if needs be. Sometimes we'll change the formation around a bit and myself and Dannie Bulman will sit a little deeper to let someone like Sam Deering come in and play in front of us, but over the past couple of games I've definitely been able to break forward more and try to get things going at the other end."

No matter what his role in the side, scoring goals has never been a problem during Simon's time in a yellow shirt. With four goals under his belt this season and three coming at the tail end of the 2008/2009 campaign, the midfielder has so far displayed a nack for scoring timely and important goals: all of which have come away from home.

"I score now and again in training but whenever I manage to get one in a game it always seems to be away from home! It's not something that particularly bothers me, although it would certainly be nice to score at home for a change. The most important thing is that I chip in with a few no matter where we're playing and away goals can often end up being the most important, so I'm just happy to score whenever and wherever."

Having played at Conference level for several years Simon is well versed in the ways of the division. With the last three seasons seeing the likes of Wrexham, Mansfield and Luton enter the league, does he feel that the Conference is something that is becoming stronger and therefore more difficult year on year?

"I think so. You tend to get a few bigger league clubs coming down, and it seems as though those who come down are no longer being automatically billed as the favourites to go back up. Overall there are a lot of teams who are improving year on year and that seems to be making the line between the top sides and the struggling sides in League Two finer and finer. You see it a lot in cup ties and so forth and it does seem that a lot of the time the Conference sides come out on top, but in turn it makes the league a much tougher one to break out of. Ultimately getting out of it is what we're aiming for, and hopefully come the end of April we'll have managed that. "