SWINDON manager Kevin MacDonald has insisted automatic promotion is not beyond his side despite the Robins’ 2-1 defeat at Brentford last night.

Town led at half-time thanks to a neat finish from Simon Ferry, but two quick second-half goals from Sam Saunders and Clayton Donaldson saw them slip to fourth in the League One table, two points behind second-placed Sheffeld United who have a game in hand.

MacDonald was impressed with the way his team dominated the Bees for long spells at Griffin Park, and when asked if the chance of automatic promotion was slipping away from his side he said: “No, not at all, you saw how we played against a team third in the league,” he said.

“I thought we were the better side in the first half, and we’re disappointed because we thought we probably should have won the game, but they got a couple of breakaways and scored.

“We got untidy and sloppy, and that’s disappointing because we spoke about not getting hit on the break.

“We were the better side for most of the game, and if we do that over the rest of the games we will win more than we lose and hopefully get into the automatic places.

“I think we have the best team in the league, and I’m sure other managers think they have too.

“We’re still fourth in the league, and in the three games I have been here we have been in command but only taken four points out of nine. We need to look at that, but it’s the way football goes sometimes.

“It’s going to be a tough ask for any team to get promoted, and if we have to go in the play-offs that’s what we have to do.”

The club are still waiting to have a transfer embargo lifted by the Football League, and the Advertiser understands senior figures at the County Ground are hopeful of that happening today, but MacDonald is not too frustrated at his inability to bring in new faces.

“I have heard nothing so far, but at the moment we probably have four or five days to get the embargo lifted and then maybe try and bring a few players in. At the moment there is no information,” he said.

“We were the better team, but it’s frustrating we don’t have the numbers just to help one or two of the players out.”