Duff: We pinched point at Brewers
FOR all that Burton Albion were not at their best against Cheltenham Town, Robins manager Michael Duff still thought his side only “pinched” a point in Friday night’s 1-1 draw.
Duff was fairly happy with that, after a long week of travelling for his team, who had been to Fleetwood and Gillingham in the week leading up to the shorter trip to Burton.
“I think we probably pinched a point,” said Duff.
“Without getting opened up, I didn’t think we were great but we’ll take the point and the positives.
“We looked like a team that had done a lot of travelling, to Fleetwood Friday/Saturday, Gillingham Tuesday and Friday night away, hitting every bit of traffic going.
“But it shows the togetherness. “We need to be braver in certain areas of the pitch.
“We’re going up a level now and, I said it last week, we might edge that game 1-0 last year. But we can’t keep tossing the ball away.
“If we keep tossing the ball away, teams going up a level will open you up and that’s what they did.
“We started a little bit nervously, doing the same thing, then we grew into the game.”
Cheltenham took a first-half lead with a fine finish by Callum Wright after Ryan Leak’s attempted clearance came to him, his third goal in successive games.
“The goal was a really good one,” said Duff.
“He lands on things, it’s a knack and an art. “I don’t think you can coach it, it’s reading the game, anticipating where things are going to drop and then having the technique to execute it.
“It’s not an accident that two left-footed shots have gone in exactly the same spot. You have to have the technique to execute your skill of landing on things as well.”
Duff was less happy with his side after half-time.
“In the second half, we went back into our shell again,” he said.
“We went wide and played long, their back four was set and we don’t have target men because that’s not the way we want to play.
“We have to learn from it but it’s another point away from home and another game we haven’t been beaten back to back, so we’ll take the positives.”