Duff encouraged as Cheltenham show signs of improvement

Posted Sunday, October 21, 2018 by PA

Michael Duff said he saw shoots of recovery as his Cheltenham side left Forest Green with a point from a 1-1 draw in the Gloucestershire derby.

Tyrone Barnett put the Robins in front with his first goal of the season midway through the first half, but Joseph Mills secured a point for Rovers with a header 15 minutes from the end.

Duff is still waiting for his first win as manager after three draws and three defeats, but he saw plenty of positives at the New Lawn.

“I was pleased with the organisation, structure and bit of quality as well,” Duff said.

“You won’t get it to click straight away and it’s going to take time, but it was shoots of recovery.

“They know what to expect from me and I know what to expect from them now because they’ve told me.

“It’s now up to a collective of me, staff and them to pull together with a few more performances like this and hopefully supporters will buy into it.

“We need results and we can’t just expect supporters to turn up and start cheering.

“Things like that were exposed in a frank discussion we had after the last game, cutting to the chase, opening up and seeing what we really are. I think you saw some positive signs from that.”

Rovers trailed at the break after goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was caught in possession by Barnett and the Brighton loanee brought down the striker in the box.

Luke Varney’s penalty was brilliantly saved by Sanchez diving to his right but Barnett, on loan from Port Vale, followed up to open the scoring in the 26th minute.

Sanchez had already made one diving save to keep out an effort from Chelsea youngster Jacob Maddox and the home side failed to test visiting goalkeeper Scott Flinders before the break.

Cooper made a double change at the break, sending on Gavin Gunning and Tahvon Campbell in place of Nathan McGinley and George Williams.

Sanchez had to make one superb reaction save to deny substitute Liam McAlinden, but Forest Green had most of the ball after the break.

And the leveller came in the 75th minute when Theo Archibald’s corner was nodded in by Mills at the near post as Rovers registered their ninth draw in 14 games this term.

Forest Green boss Mark Cooper was disappointed to see his side waste the first half against their county rivals before showing a major improvement after the break.

“We tried to pick a team full of energy with three sharp forwards and three lads in midfield who can run,” Cooper said.

“But we got sucked into a trap of getting the ball forward too quickly and not recognising where the space was, which was in behind them.

“We gave a horrendous goal away, which gave Cheltenham something to hang onto.

“Fair play to them, they came and had a go and didn’t want to get beat, sitting in and we gave them something to hang onto.

“The penalty adds work and once the goalkeeper saves it their centre forward runs from 10 yards behind our defenders and taps it in as they were asleep.

“It was a really poor situation to give it away and poor defending once he saved it. It was then an uphill battle and Cheltenham had all the energy sitting behind the ball and waiting for us to make mistakes.”