Phil Brown has urged Barrow AFC to push on and get the survival job done – and not leave things to the last day.

The Bluebirds host Sutton United this weekend with safety in sight after an impressive Easter weekend.

Victory on Saturday coupled with an Oldham defeat to Salford would secure AFC’s League Two status.

And manager Brown says getting things wrapped up, and not risking it going to the wire, would be crucial.

“You want to try and get it over the line before the last game of the season because if it goes to the last game it can be a nightmare,” he said.

“It can also be a dream, as I’ve been involved in many times; not just the last game but the last minute of the last game in play-off final against Wycombe [with Southend in 2015].

“But you don’t ever want to take a group of players to that last minute of the last game because it can be a disaster.

“You want to avoid that – and the way to do that is to apply your self in every game to the best of your ability, starting with the next one.”

Barrow’s four points against promotion-chasing Forest Green and Salford have given them a major boost in their battle to avoid a return to the National League.

They now face another high-flier in sixth-placed Sutton.

Brown says he has wrapped his players in cotton wool in the early stages of this week after their intense Easter double-header.

But he is hoping to be able to select the same players against Matt Gray’s visitors.

“I’m hoping I can get out the team that’s got four points from the last two games,” the manager said.

“It would be a no-brainer to get them out there.

“There have been bumps and bruises, but I’m not going to do a Pep Guardiola and say we’ve had 71 treatments in the last two or three days.

“One or two might not be training until Friday morning or Friday afternoon when we’re up at Barrow. I’ll have a look at them.

“My message to every player in any game is hold onto your shirt. In the last couple of games, the vast majority have done enough to do that.

“With that comes injury and other circumstance, and the next person has to be ready, because our subs have made a big impact as well.

“Things are spiralling in the right direction but we need to keep pushing.”