SWINDON stalwart Andy Rowland has admitted his job was made easy once Town got on a winning roll during their promotion season.

After hanging up his boots in 1986 Rowland stayed on at the club in a coaching capacity, which included a stint as caretaker, manager.

By the 1995-96 season Rowland was a coach under manager Steve McMahon in what was to be his last year with the club as he was part of a backroom clear-out shortly after the club made their way back to the second tier of English football.

Despite that Rowland holds fond memories of the promotion winning season and admits that going up was never in doubt.

“I think in the main it was a case that things were going so well that the squad and even the supporters were under no illusion that we were going to get promotion,” he said.

“It was one of those things that defeat was not even on the menu.

“The confidence was so high and everybody had such belief that things were going to go their way, these so called average players were playing way above what was expected of them and it did show they did have a lot of class as well.

“As the coach is was quite easy once we got on that winning-streak.

“It was a case of turn up for training, enjoy the training, and it made the coaching side of it and the selection of the side very easy.”

Rowland has been impressed with the current crop of players that Lee Power and Mark Cooper have assembled.

Although it is not a mathematical certainty yet, the former striker believes that Swindon have done enough to fire themselves into the play-offs at the very least but is still hoping that with games against MK Dons and Bristol City in the next four days, as well as a trip to Deepdale, that Town can clinch one of the automatic spots.

“This team seem to have gelled well and the points on the board tell the story how good they have been,” added Rowland, who is expecting a tough game with MK Dons on the back of a two-week lay-off.

“They have had a couple of dips recently but so have the likes of Bristol City and MK Dons, while Preston have come out of the FA Cup on a good run.

“I would be surprised if another team was able to change the order of the top four.

“We could still catch Preston but we have got to look at it that we are definitely going to be in the play-offs anyway.

“That might have some effect on the attitude of the players.

“Certainly not the manager, who I don’t think would have enjoyed the last two weeks when they haven’t been playing.

“A gap like that, however hard you try, not playing that competitive game is a bit of a test.

“We have got to play the other teams in the top four and we can do ourselves good by taking points.

“I can’t see anybody catching Bristol but Preston can be caught, especially as we have a game against them.”

The Advertiser approached Swindon Town to get involved with the ‘Get the County Ground Rocking’ campaign but they declined to respond.