Michael Duff hails Cheltenham’s defensive solidity as Robins march on

Posted Sunday, February 28, 2021 by PA

Cheltenham boss Michael Duff believes resilience and dogged defending are the driving force behind his side’s promotion push.

Goals from January loan-signings Sam Smith and Callum Wright fired the in-form Robins to a fourth successive away success at Scunthorpe,

But it was the visitors’ work off the ball, when closing down quickly and putting their bodies on the line, that was key to the victory.

“I thought it was a professional and clinical performance away from home,” said Duff, whose side now boast the division’s best away record.

“We got the two goals relatively early and in the second half I was quite prepared to sit in and see the game out.

“We could maybe have had a few more moments of free-flowing football, but there’ve been times this season when we’ve been away to teams, played them off the park and not won.

“We’re at a stage of the season now where it’s more about mentality and results.

“We knew we had to be good coming here. Scunthorpe had won four of the last five and three of them had been at home.

“It proved to be a difficult game and Scunthorpe were still knocking on the door at the end, but in the last 10 minutes I felt as comfortable as you can be in this league with a two-goal lead.

“For all their possession I didn’t really feel like they caused us many problems.

“The away form is pleasing – I think it’s based on our resilience and doggedness.

“We’ve conceded only 11 goals in 16 away games and something like that always gives you a chance.

“But we do need to address our home form now, which is something we’ve looked into.

“Maybe when we’re at home we have a bit of a softer mentality, I don’t know, but it’s something we have to put right.”

A game which proved a routine win for the Robins could have been very different had the home side made the most of an early opening when defender Emmanual Onariase headed across goal and wide when unmarked at the far post.

Instead, it was Cheltenham who broke the deadlock in the 25th minute, on-loan Reading youngster Smith firing in on the half-volley when Scunthorpe’s Harrison McGahey could only flick on a cross.

After another chance for the Iron went begging – Kevin Van Veen denied by goalkeeper Joshua Griffiths – the Robins doubled their advantage four minutes before half-time via Wright, who fired in from inside the area after Chris Hussey’s deflected cross bounced kindly into his path.

Scunthorpe asked more questions after the break, with Van Veen’s curling free-kick superbly clawed away by Griffiths and Onariase heading against the top of a post late on, but there was no way through.

Those chances, coupled with the opportunities in the opening 45 minutes, left United manager Neil Cox reflecting on what might have been.

“For me, League Two is all about what happens in both boxes,” he said.

“I was disappointed with the way we conceded the goals and, given we created four good chances, I thought we’d take one.

“Cheltenham got two goals up and after that it was always going to be hard for us. We huffed and puffed but didn’t manage to get anything from it.

“We probably had more possession and got into some good areas, but we didn’t punish them. Our crossing was poor and too often we hit the first man.

“I asked the players at half-time to try to take people on and get around the back of them more.

“I’m proud of the lads for the way they kept going in the second half – we at least had a good go – but it’s hard to break teams down when they set up with five at the back and Cheltenham are second in the league for a reason.

“You have to have that belief when you go 1-0 down and I think that’s what we’re lacking at the moment.”