Michael Duff will not get carried away as Cheltenham move back to top - 7M sport

Michael Duff will not get carried away as Cheltenham move back to top



Posted Sunday, April 11, 2021 by PA

Michael Duff will not get carried away as Cheltenham move back to top

Cheltenham manager Michael Duff saw his side return to the top of Sky Bet League Two after a 1-0 win at home to in-form Leyton Orient – but admitted he wanted more from his strikers going into the final few weeks of the season.

A first-half Conor Thomas penalty was all that separated the sides, with the Robins guilty of squandering a number of chances, particularly in the opening period.

Duff said: “I thought we were good value for the win. Josh (Griffiths) has had one thing to do in 95 minutes and we had some unbelievable chances.

“We talked about it last week and the week before but we need to be more clinical with the amount of chances we are creating. That should have been more comfortable in my opinion.

“I might be putting pressure on them but I’ve just said to the centre-forwards – and the midfielders – that the back five are having to live on a knife-edge all the time because they cannot make a mistake.

“If we want to go on and achieve what we want then we are not going to create that many chances in every game.

“I thought the penalty was a big moment but I thought Conor, to be fair to him, was the coolest man in the ground. It is a definite skill and something he is very good at.”

The win lifted Cheltenham back to the top and seven points clear of fourth-placed Tranmere, but Duff refused to get carried away.

He added: “Once you start thinking that the finish line is coming then you trip up, and that’s what we can’t afford. That was a difficult game today so I’m really pleased with the performance.”

The only goal came when Andy Williams raced onto a long ball hoisted into the Orient area only to be clattered by goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux. Referee Thomas Bramall was left with no option but to award Cheltenham the spot-kick which Thomas duly converted.

Orient boss Jobi McAnuff said: “It was a tough afternoon. They are a very difficult team to break down. They have a tight, solid back-five and the three lads in front give them great protection, so there is not a lot of space to play through.

“It was a poor goal from our point of view. When you are coming to a tough place like this, to concede a goal like that was difficult for us to take and from their point of view they are resolute.

“In the second half we were better and on the front foot, spending most of the half in their half, but we certainly didn’t create enough good opportunities for the possession we had.

“We know what we have to do in terms of performances and points we have to pick up between now and the end of the season. We have been on a good run and we need to put another one together.”

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