Phil Brown says witnessing Exeter City’s promotion celebrations should be all the incentive Barrow’s players need to progress.

The Bluebirds’ 2-1 defeat at St James’ Park on Tuesday saw the home side clinch a place in League One.

While Barrow managed to get over the safety line last weekend, and pushed Matt Taylor’s Grecians hard at St James’ Park, AFC boss Brown says the post-match scenes in Devon should stay with his players.

“That was part of the team-talk after the game – the debrief was all about listening to 7,000 fans coming on the pitch and enjoying themselves, celebrating,” he said.

“That for me is what you want from football. Once you’ve sampled it, which I fortunately have as player, coach and manager, you want more of it.

“If players don’t want bit of that next year you’re in the wrong changing room – in fact in the wrong sport.”

Brown takes his Barrow side to Swindon Town this weekend for the penultimate game of the campaign.

Much of the focus is now on whether the experienced manager will remain in charge beyond this campaign.

Brown says the word “ambition” needs to be at the forefront of talks with club bosses.

He has also praised players and fans for sticking with him after a three-game losing run at the start of his short-term reign.

“When you come in as a new manager, you start banging a different drum,” he said.

“Albeit it’s the same message as Mark Cooper, where you’re playing to win of course, but it’s a different drum, different words, trying to get players to understand where you’re coming from.

“When you get three straight defeats it takes a lot of commitment from yourself and also belief from the players.

“That’s what I have to thank them for. They kept believing. All of a sudden, a 4-0 win against Forest Green Rovers is the big turning point, where you have proof of those beliefs.

“We’ve just had Easter, and I always remember the parable of Doubting Thomas. Probably there were one or two Doubting Thomases in the stand. There were one or two in the changing room.

“But the majority of the players kept on believing and understanding what we wanted, and all of a sudden it goes for us.”

Brown says his side were complimented by the Exeter contingent on Tuesday for making things hard for them on a big night.

“When we got the job done with a great result against Sutton United, I thought the big problem for me would be motivation,” he said.

“To be fair to the players, they absolutely responded to what we requested of them on Tuesday night, considering the euphoria, the party atmosphere, raised the performance level of the home team.

“I heard their manager’s comments after the game, and I spoke to [Exeter midfielder] Timothee Dieng after the game. I had him at Southend, and he said congratulations and what a hard game it was.

“That was music to my ears. He and the manager said it was a tough performance from the away team and we obviously didn’t lie down. That’s going to be demanded and requested this and next weekend.”