NEWPORT County AFC manager Warren Feeney says his players should not be celebrating survival, insisting the club’s sights will be set much higher next season.

There was plenty of relief for Feeney and his players after Souleymane Coulibaly’s header two minutes from time sealed a 1-1 draw at Luton Town on Saturday.

It was the point that County needed to ensure that they will be playing League Two football again next season.

Feeney, who arrived at Rodney Parade as John Sheridan’s assistant after Terry Butcher was sacked in October and replaced Sheridan as boss in January, is happy to have kept the Exiles in the Football League.

But that is not enough for him and he says it shouldn’t be enough for his players.

“I’ll let them have a beer together but I’m not big into celebrating staying in leagues,” he said.

“It’s very hard from where they’ve been but I’m not one to get carried away.

“I told them to go and enjoy it but we won’t be waving flags and jumping up and down for staying in the Football League.

“I’ve seen teams and managers do it before but these are professional footballers and I don’t want to be in this position next year.

“We’re not going to compete with Luton, Pompey or Oxford – massive clubs – but I’ll get players who want to be competitive.

“We should be aiming to win things and that’s why I said last week about incentives for winning games – it brings the best out of players.”

Feeney says he will give players a chance to prove they are worth a new contract in the remaining matches – at home to Notts County next Saturday and away to AFC Wimbledon on May 7.

Asked if any players could change his opinion of them, the Exiles boss said: “There is a possibility, some of them have put in fantastic performances.

“You want honesty and players playing to their maximum and a couple of them certainly gave me that.”

Feeney praised the board of directors for backing him and he aims to repay their faith in the coming years.

“Obviously I’ll be planning for next season and the board gave been brilliant,” he said.

“We came up on Friday and I’d like to thank Reading Football Club. They let us train at their facilities, which was fantastic.

“It’s not going to be wave a magic wand and it happens overnight – it’s going to be two or three years,” he added.

“But the planning starts now. There’s lots of hard work to be done.

“It is hard. I don’t see my wife and kids because I’m sat in the office all day looking ahead but I love it.

“I’m probably too enthusiastic at times but that’s the way I was as a player and it will be hard work every day now.”