‘Top-drawer’ Alfie May hailed after setting Cheltenham record

Posted Wednesday, September 14, 2022 by PA

Wade Elliott praised Cheltenham record-breaker Alfie May after his late strike sealed a 2-1 win over Cambridge.

The Robins trailed 1-0 at the break, but goals from Dan N’Lundulu and May earned Elliott his first home victory as head coach.

And May’s strike made him Cheltenham’s all-time leading EFL goalscorer with 40.

“Alfie has been top-drawer since I’ve been at the club and I’ve seen a change in him as a personality and a professional footballer,” Elliott said.

“He does his gym work, trains right and he cajoles others. He’s getting his rewards off the back of that hard work. I am sure there is plenty more in him.”

Elliott felt his side deserved the three points that lift them to 19th in the table.

“We deserved it because I thought we were excellent,” he said.

“The result was the right result and I didn’t think we deserved to be 1-0 down at the break because we dominated for half an hour and they score with their first shot at goal.

“The players have shown character and resilience to come back.”

N’Lundulu levelled for the Robins with a fine curling shot inside the top right corner in the 59th minute after Ben Williams’ pass.

It was the Southampton loanee’s second goal in two games and his third of the season.

May won it in the 84th minute with a low shot from a tight angle which he buried inside the far post.

Namesake Adam May had given Cambridge a 28th-minute lead with a powerful strike from the edge of the box after good work from Shilow Tracey and Harvey Knibbs’ final ball.

But Cambridge boss Mark Bonner admitted his side were second best on the night.

“Cheltenham played well and deserved the win and we were poor,” he said.

“They ran really hard and played with intensity and were much better than us. They fought hard for the win.

“We had too many moments when we weren’t good with the ball. I thought we were really poor.

“We didn’t deserve to go in ahead at half-time even though it was a brilliant goal.

“We’ve got to be a lot, lot better with the ball than we were tonight. We were opened up too easily and it was a lesson for us.”