Ben Garner says Swindon Town will not over-celebrate play-off qualification

Harry McKirdy’s early goal was added to by Jack Payne’s long-range strike and a late first-half penalty as Swindon soared into sixth place on the final day.

But with a two-legged tie against Port Vale to come, Garner stated his squad’s attention must quickly turn to the upcoming fixtures as they aim to finish off the season with a promotion.

On a day where Town’s play-off opponents changed a couple of times, Garner said: “I was not aware of anything else that was going on if I’m honest.

“I was just focused on us and making sure we got our part done, and we did.

“It was an excellent first half, not as good a second half but that’s understandable given the position we were in. We were just trying to manage the game and see it through sensibly, which we did.

“It’s fantastic, a great achievement to get in, we’re really happy with that. But there’s over-celebrating in there. We’re delighted to be in the play-offs, but now we want to go on and win them.”

Town’s first-half display was as efficient as any this season – kicked off by McKirdy’s wonderfully-taken fourth-minute strike.

Roared on by 3,500 passionate Swindon fans, Garner’s men ensured everyone who travelled would be treated to an unforgettable afternoon at the Banks’ Stadium.

Discussing the high-standard of his team’s performance before the break, Garner said: “I think the quality of our play, the tempo we played at, and the intensity to our pressing – everything was excellent.

“I thought we started the game really well. We scored two fantastic goals and then it was brilliant play to win the penalty for the third. There were one or two other opportunities too in that really good first half.

“We’ve had a great run in the past four games. We said we had to win all four and we did. That’s testament to the players and everyone at the football club. We’ll look forward to the play-offs.”