Phil Brown "still accepts" the Swindon Town challenge

Swindon Town manager Phil Brown is still firmly committed to the Swindon Town promotion push as matches start to run out for the club.

The Robins rescued a 1-1 draw at Crawley Town on Easter Monday, courtesy of a Marc Richards header five minutes from time, but Swindon are still three points adrift of the top seven with only six games of the regular season now remaining. 

Current boss Brown is only on a deal until the end of the season, and was given the task of guiding Town back to League One after Swindon were left in the lurch following David Flitcroft's departure to promotion rivals Mansfield Town back in March.

Brown has taken charge of four games as Swindon manager thus far, and managed five points from a possible 12, after a 3-1 win at Cambridge, a 3-1 defeat at Exeter and two 1-1 draws against Morecambe and now Crawley over the Easter weekend.

"I've got a 10-game challenge, and unfortunately I've only got five points from four games, and should have more," Brown said at full-time on Monday.

"You've always got time until mathematics tell you you haven't got time. I've got [Olly] Lancashire on the bench, [Ryan] McGivern on the bench, two lads that have come out the treatment room in time hopefully for a strong challenge [and a] strong finish.

"There's plenty of points to be played for, and who's to say we can't get promoted. Not one of the players in there are thinking that way, but I want them to play that way and act that way and be a [League One] footballer next year.

"You've got to come to places like Crawley and you've got to go to the County Ground at home to Morecambe and you've got to take six points from there, so basically we've dropped four points from the last two games, it's as simple as that."

Swindon now have the luxury of back-to-back home games coming up, with the visit of Carlisle coming up first on Saturday, and then Yeovil come to Wiltshire the following Tuesday.

"I think as part of a manager's position, you have to understand your group and you have to understand individuals, what makes them tick.

"Have I had enough time for that? Probably not, but I'm not going to bemoan that, I accepted the challenge and still accept that challenge. I'm getting to know each individual more and the group better every day.

"Matty Taylor, as I've said before, is turning out to be an absolute godsend because he recognises the same kinds of strengths and weaknesses as I do, whether that's between the ears or physical and together, hopefully we will get it right between now and the end of the season."