NEWPORT County AFC manager Warren Feeney says the success of AFC Wimbledon this season should be an inspiration to his side.

County go to Wimbledon on Saturday for the final match of a long and difficult League Two campaign.

Neal Ardley’s Dons side only escaped relegation on the final day of the 2012/2013 season but are now guaranteed a place in the play-offs and a shot at promotion to League One.

And Feeney wants that to fire the Exiles’ ambition as they look to avoid a repeat of this season’s struggle to stay up.

The Exiles boss said: “Ards is a fantastic guy; I know him from my time at Cardiff.

“He’s a great man-manager and he’s got players playing for him.

“He’s done a fantastic job at Wimbledon and I definitely think they are an example to follow.

“We want to build on staying up,” he added. “I’m not going to say we’re going to do this or that – we’re going to take one step at a time – but the players have got to look at it.

“And look at Accrington – it’s fantastic what John Coleman has achieved. They’re in with a chance of automatic promotion.

“There’s nothing in the league – it’s just getting that togetherness and getting the right players in and you’ll certainly have a chance.”

But for now Feeney, who stepped up from assistant to replace John Sheridan as manager in January, is just happy to have secured safety before the final day.

“It’s been a difficult season but our main objective was to stay in the Football League and we’ve done that,” he said.

“I would have settled for this. I remember after four days here with Shez we were sat down having a meal and he said to me ‘we’ve just got to keep this club up’ and we’ve done that.

“We’ve had a new board and three managers this season and that’s a lot to go through for our club.

“If you’re a top club you get away with it but we’re a team who have only been in the League for three years and we were rock bottom at the start.

“It’s been a long journey but it’s one that certainly gives you good backbone for next year.”