Swindon play-off place would be a fairytale – Ben Garner

Ben Garner claimed making the League Two play-offs would be a “fairytale” ending for Swindon after they climbed into the top seven with just one game remaining by beating Barrow 2-1.

Louis Reed scored an 85th-minute winner to leave Swindon’s fate in their own hands, just two minutes after Matt Platt had appeared to earn the visitors a point.

But Reed’s strike, coupled with a defeat for Sutton, put the Robins into the play-off places, less than a year on from the club’s future being in doubt.

Swindon boss Garner said: “I’ve been told we are into the play-offs, which is fantastic. It’s in our hands and a great position to be in.

“I thought we played ever so well in the first half and should have been comfortably 3-0 up.

“Barrow are a huge threat from set-pieces, they got that goal and I thought we responded really well.

“It would be magical (to reach the play-offs) it really would and it would be a fairytale given where we were in July to then be in this situation.

“There are so many people who deserve huge credit and it would be absolutely amazing.

“We have to keep performing, keep working hard each day, and doing the right things which have got us to this point.

“Once the season finishes the play-offs are a different competition and you have to reset and completely wipe the slate clean.

“But we won’t get ahead of ourselves.”

Josh Davison scored with his second shot of the game in the 22nd minute after having wasted a great chance moments earlier.

Both Harry McKirdy and Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry spurned clear-cut chances for the hosts.

Platt’s late headed goal looked to have rescued a point for Barrow, but Reed had the final say.

Barrow manager Brown said: “If you lose in football it’s because possibly you deserve to lose. When I looked at it first half they were without a shadow of the doubt in the ascendancy and they were playing the better football.

“We made a change tactically in the second half and we were in the ascendancy

“I thought there’s every chance we could put a spanner in the works and it wasn’t for the want of trying. But we didn’t have that bit of quality in the first half – the first pass in particular, when you’ve worked so hard to get the ball, we just didn’t get that first pass off.

“Consequently, it doesn’t matter what system you play, if you don’t get the first pass off and be progressive with it, you’re going to struggle.

“I thought they got the first pass off and whether they went backwards, forward, sideways, it didn’t matter.”