SWINDON skipper Paul Daniels believes another year in the Southern Counties North will stand Swindon in good stead to enjoy future consistency at a higher level.
Saturday's 22-16 win over Grove sealed their third place finish, after relegation from South West Two East last campaign, with Daniels admitting an instant return would have come too early.
Daniels revealed Swindon would benefit from the influx of at least 10 development players next season and insisted the signs were good for a real promotion push next time round.
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He said: "I have said it before but I don't think promotion would have done us any favours this season. I am not sure we have the players with the right experience.
"Next season we are looking to run three teams every weekend. We have done that this year but only by begging and borrowing. It should be easier.
"We have all these players coming from the development squad and they will be involved. For me the plan is to push for promotion and then actually stay in the higher level."
Richard Lowe grabbed two tries, with Paul Wakefield also crossing the line as Swindon beat Grove in a hard-fought final-season encounter.
Adam Westwood added two conversions and a penalty but Daniels believes a potentially free-flowing spectacle was spoiled by some "horrendous" refereeing.
"It was a shame," he said. "We went out on the pitch really determined to run the ball at every opportunity and just put on a real rugby spectacle for the people who were watching.
"Grove also were looking to do the same but the referee killed that for both sides, he was horrendous.
"It was a shame because the game was a memorial to a guy who played for both sides but is now dead. In the end the decisions were so bad, tempers actually started to boil over."
MARTIN Peaple has declared himself satisfied with Swindon College Old Boys' season after a seventh place finish was confirmed with a 30-24 defeat to Abingdon on Saturday.
The College boss admits the second half of the campaign has been a "slight disappointment" but insists they have matched expectations in the Berks, Bucks and Oxon League.
He said: "We are pretty much where we expected to be, which is fine. We did not win on Saturday which means we could not finish in sixth and have to settle for seventh.
"It was actually a hard-fought game for a season finale, with neither side having much to play for.
"We are just a bit disappointed our second half of the season was not as good as out first half. Still as I said we are fairly satisfied with what has happened.
Shane Criddle was College's top scorer, touching down twice and adding a couple of conversions.
Sean O'Rourke also went over the white wash for the Swindon side while Darren Johnstone completed the scoring.
ELSEWHERE, Cirencester should narrowly avoid the drop despite a 17-14 defeat to North Bristol in the Gloucestershire Premier Division.
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