Our Player of the Season vote has been open since Monday. The winning player will secure the prestigious ‘Fraser Digby Tortoiseshell Comb Award’ when the result is announced on Friday 4th May 2012. Players eligible for the vote include only those squad members who have played in at least 10 games in all competitions. Medhi Kerrouche is ineligible as he played for O*ford during the season.

Over the next four days we’ll be looking at four key contenders for the award. The choice is yours to vote for the winner – see vote below – before the poll closes at 8pm on Thursday 3rd May 2012.

Haven’t you chosen yet? well here’s Alex Cooke with a suggestion for you…

It was a quintessentially Matt Ritchie moment and it happened during the FA Cup tie with Huddersfield – but it wasn’t the game-changing, in-swinging cross he delivered for Aden Flint to score.

A high ball had been lobbed towards the Swindon winger as he stood facing his own goal on the halfway line. Instead of stopping or turning to control it, he flicked the his left boot out to caress the ball back to Paul Caddis with the outside of his foot. A counter-attack was launched and Town were instantly on the attack and again Matt Ritchie was at the heart of it.

This moment encapsulates Ritchie’s exemplary season for a number of reasons: technique rarely seen in Division Two; superb combination play with Paul Caddis;  and the arrogance to use such a flamboyant flick in such an important game.

For Ritchie’s season has been one of exceptional individual skill fused an outstanding collectivist effort. He has turned matches with incredible goals, such as against Gillingham, provided sublime crosses, such as against Wigan for Alan Connell to score, he has also tackled, harried, pressed and tracked uncomplainingly for his team-mates and manager.

And while Town struggled at the start of the season, Ritchie dragged the team along with him, supplying crosses and scoring goals. He was often a one-man attack, like Maradona or Roberto Baggio once did in the World Cup.

Ritchie has been more than just Town’s right winger though, he has been the sides’ primary creative force. While Simon Ferry has been selflessness personified, Ritchie has made things happen, taking on his marker, running at defenders, powering in shots. It is testament to his abilities that Paolo Di Canio has given him licence to drift in a formation that is otherwise utterly rigid.

Obviously such performance have attracted both plaudits and predators: not only is he League Two’s player of the season and in the PFA XI but Bournemouth have pursued him publicly. Cherries boss Lee Bradbury called ‘probably the best winger in League Two’ and was willing to part with £500,000 for Ritchie saying “He scores goals, creates goals and is 22. The potential is fantastic”.

The only way that Ritchie isn’t the standout candidate for player of the season  is that injury and opposition tactics have limited his influence over the last few months. Deprived of support from Caddis and now aided by better team-mates post-transfer window, he has been limited to mere brilliance – instead of being  a force of nature.

His demolition of so many teams earlier in the season has latterly seen him become a double-marked man. Teams have followed plans to block, kick or foul him and his captain Caddis as surely as their managers did with their pantomime pre-match mockery of Di Canio. Neither has worked though as Swindon, powered by Ritchie, put side after side to the sword.

And while he has had excellent support from in front with Paul Bendon and behind with Ferry and Caddis, it is Ritchie who has changed games, rolled away parked buses and ultimately changed the direction of the entire season.

11 goals, 17 assists, player of the season for the entire league, opener of the floodgates against Vale and desired by those in a higher division – that is quintessentially Matt Ritchie.

Vote now for your Player of the Season – or wait until we’ve put the case forward for all key nominations…

Contender Wes Foderingham

Contender Alan McCormack