Robins need to do better, admits Duff

DONCASTER ROVERS ... 3 CHELTENHAM TOWN .... 2

CHELTENHAM boss Michael Duff admitted his disappointment in “quite a bit” of his side’s play at Doncaster despite running the hosts close, writes Jon Palmer.

Joe Dodoo and Tom Anderson put Rovers two goals up at the break, and Rodrigo Vilca looked to have put the game to bed after the half-time break.

The Robins certainly looked to have blown their last chance when Liam Sercombe had a 62ndminute penalty saved, but there was still time for Alfie May and Andy Williams to pull goals back, although the latter did not arrive until stoppage-time.

Asked if he thought Cheltenham ought to have returned from South Yorkshire with something to show for their efforts, manager Duff said: “Yes, I think so. We missed two really big chances at 0-0, and if you come here at the minute and you go 1-0 up it’s a different game.

“We have to do lots of parts of the game better, but ultimately we’ve missed a penalty and hit the crossbar twice and been beaten by an odd goal, so we deserved something.

“We had 20 shots away from home and I don’t think we’ve been that great.

“We’ve been done on a corner and a set play, which is disappointing. If we could have got them in at 1-0 (at half-time), I’d have backed us to come back, so that was the real frustration.

“Credit to (Doncaster) because they went on, didn’t sit on two and got the third. That’s what won it for them. They’ll be pleased with certain aspects of their game, but we are disappointed with quite a bit of ours.”

Doncaster took a 23rd-minute lead when Ethan Galbraith’s long ball forward was brought down superbly by Dodoo, who lashed a shot in from 18 yards.

Rovers doubled their advantage in first-half injury-time when skipper Anderson headed in from John Bostock’s corner.

The hosts grabbed a third when Rodrigo Vilca latched onto a Ben Close pass, cut inside and fired a shot into the far corner.

Cheltenham were offered a way back into the game, but Sercombe saw his spot-kick saved by Pontus Dahlberg, while Alfie May struck a post with his follow-up.

The visitors did pull a goal back when May hooked in from close range in the 68th minute, and then Williams headed another in stoppage-time, but it was too late. Doncaster: Dahlberg, Anderson, Williams, Olowu, Galbraith, Close, Bostock, Rowe (Smith 8), Vilca (Cukur 80), Dodoo, Hiwula (Barlow 90). Not Used: Jones, Gardner, Horton, Hasani.

Booked: Dahlberg.

Goals: Dodoo 23, Anderson 45, Vilca 54. Cheltenham: Flinders, Blair, Pollock, Long, Hussey, Thomas (Norton 54), Sercombe, Chapman, Crowley (May 54), Joseph, Vassell (Williams 81). Not Used: Evans, Freestone, Horton, Barkers.

Goals: May 68, Williams 90.

Referee: Neil Hair (Cambridgeshire).