PHIL Brown believes opposition teams have added incentive to topple his Swindon Town side as he looks to galvanise their push for a place in the League Two play-offs today.

This afternoon’s match at home to Grimsby Town marks the second of a two-day celebration to honour the 25th anniversary of Swindon’s promotion to the Premier League in 1993.

The Wiltshire side are one of just two teams currently in the fourth tier to have played in the Premier League, alongside Coventry City.

Both of those teams were plying their trade in League One last season before falling to relegation, and Brown is well aware that his team carry an extra stature in the lower leagues.

“I’ve only been here for seven games, but I’ve realised Swindon Town is a big scalp for teams,” said Brown.

“Swindon is a big club in the lower divisions. You’re never going to get a free game, an easy game, or a team that’s going to lie down and roll over.

“Everybody is motivated when they come to the County Ground, and we have to understand that.

“We have to have that knowledge before we go out to play.”

Town are badly in need of victory this afternoon after seeing their play-off push stall in recent games.

After a 3-1 win at Cambridge United in Brown’s first game in charge on March 17, Swindon have picked up just four points from six games since.

That leaves them down in ninth in the table, four points adrift of the top seven.

While Swindon still retain aspirations of promotion with three games to go, Grimsby’s focus is at the other end of the table as they are only one place above the relegation zone.

The Mariners will travel south with plenty of motivation, with victory at the Energy Check County Ground – coupled with results elsewhere going their way – enough to secure their status in the division for next season.

Michael Jolley’s men have picked up four points from their last two games, both against relegation rivals Barnet and Chesterfield, so Brown remains cautious over the threat his side face this afternoon.

“Grimsby have played two matches where they weren’t expecting to get anything,” said Brown.

“I’m not sure about status for them next year but they’ll be doing everything they can to win on Saturday.

“Just because we’re higher in the league table, it doesn’t mean we’re certainties to win the game.

“We’ll apply ourselves in the right way in the last few games of the season.”