Michael Duff believes referee’s decisions cost Cheltenham against MK Dons

Posted Sunday, October 07, 2018 by PA

Cheltenham boss Michael Duff claimed some of the referee’s decisions cost his side after they lost 3-0 to MK Dons.

Chuks Aneke, Rhys Healey and Robbie Simpson all found the net for MK Dons as Paul Tisdale’s men won for the first time at home since August.

The result means Cheltenham have won just two of their last 16 league games.

“I didn’t think it was a 3-0 result,” said Duff. “I thought up until 80 minutes we more than matched them and the referee missed a clear foul for their first goal, and we should have had a penalty as well in the first half.

“For the last 10 minutes and injury time it did look like a top-half-of-the-table team against a lower table team, but for 80 minutes we have come away to a big club with a big stadium and budget and we have more than matched them.

“We’ve passed well and pressed hard and looked like a good team.

“I’d rather lose by two or three goals and try and chase the game, which is what we were doing late on.

“The second goal killed us but a few of the referee’s decisions have cost us too because their first goal was a definite foul – no questions.”

Duff’s side went close early on through Jacob Maddox, when the winger cut inside onto his right foot and fired a dipping drive goalwards.

The hosts took the lead after 34 minutes when a goalmouth scramble saw the ball drop at the feet of Aneke, before he swivelled and fired a drive into the net for his sixth of the season.

The Dons doubled their tally after 84 minutes when a deep cross from George Williams found frontman Healey unmarked – the striker heading home before Simpson slotted in a penalty deep into injury time.

“It’s a really pleasing three points and the performances have been coming over the last two or three weeks – we’re starting to put the goals with the performance,” said MK boss Tisdale, after his side made it back-to-back League Two victories.

“We kept up with our play and we upped it in the second half, we pushed hard for the second and third goals, we got those goals at good times too.

“We put lots of good balls into the danger area but I don’t want to be too over-pleased because we still have lots to work on in that area.

“We’re nowhere near the finished product and although we have got two wins on the bounce we don’t want to get complacent because there’s lots of work to do yet.

“It’s where we are in May that matters but if we’re scoring goals and keeping clean sheets, we’ll be OK.”