Spot on as Robins hold their nerve to reach last 16 after shoot-out success
CHELTENHAM Town progressed to the last 16 of the Checkatrade Trophy with a 7-6 penaltyshoot-out success over Newport County after it ended 1-1 after 90 minutes at the Jonny-rocks Stadium.
The Exiles led through Padgraid Amond’s first-half strike, but Alex Addai levelled in the 68th minute.
And after 13 successful spot kicks, Mark Harris saw his effort saved by Scott Flinders giving Cheltenham victory.
Newport had taken the lead in the 17th minute when ex-robins youngster Cameron Pring crossed from the left, Fraser Franks stepped over it and Amond placed his shot into the bottom corner.
Cheltenham were reduced to mainly long range efforts, with Sam Jones testing Nick Townsend with several speculative strikes, but the goalkeeper dealt with them all comfortably.
Jones’ best chance came in the 27th minute when he volleyed over from six yards.
The leveller arrived when Addai smashed in from close range after some hesitant defending from Newport from a corner.
Jones then forced a fine save from Townsend with a deflected shot and Addai was off target when presented with a good chance to claim his second of the night after Thomas’ pass.
Thomas, Jordon Forster, Ben Tozer, Chris Clements, Jones, Kelsey Mooney and Tom Field all converted successfully for the Robins in the shoot-out.
Manager Michael Duff revealed that he asked for volunteers ahead of the sudden-death decider.
“I asked who wanted to take one,” he revealed.
“It’s not my job to tell people to take a penalty. I have been there so first and foremost we asked and we had six put their hands up and then we decided from there.
“If it happens again they have all proved they will happily go and take a penalty.
“I was pleased with the penalties and we didn’t practise them.
“I am glad we didn’t because the penalties on the night were top drawer, from both teams to be honest.
“We didn’t specifically say ‘there might be a penalty shoot-out.’ It’s hard to re-enact. There are fors and againsts and some people say it’s the mindset of putting the ball in the same corner all the time, but it’s difficult to recreate that walk.
“It’s a bit easier tonight as there wasn’t a big crowd, but when there is 40 or 50,000, or the nation’s hopes on it, it’s a bit different.
“I am pleased with the resilience of going 1-0 down and coming back. I was pleased with that and we were going right to the end.”
In the 90 minutes, Duff felt the Robins improved as the game went on.
“We didn’t really get going first half and it was a little bit static,” he said.
“We were trying to pass the ball, but they were a lot cleaner with their passing than we were and we were a little bit on edge.
“Second half I thought we were much the better team and deserved at least to get the draw after 90 minutes.
“We are into the last 16, so we are three wins away from Wembley now. We’ve come this far so we might as well have a go, which we will and we have.”
Some fringe players were given a chance in the starting line-up and one of them, Alex Addai, scored his second goal in two games.
“We always look a threat from set plays and obviously Alex isn’t going to win the first ball, but he was on the move in the box and he took it well,” said Duff.
“He could have had a second, but he almost hit it too well. It’s a difficult one for Alex as he’s a right winger.
“If he’s going to play in this shape he needs to find a way of playing.
“I told him to play where he wants. But when we lose the ball, between the
THE draw for the last 16 of the Checkatrade Trophy will take place on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.
The draw will be conducted by Alan Mcinally and Matt Le Tissier, as part of Sky’s Soccer Saturday coverage at 12.20pm.
It will be a regionalised North/ South draw with Cheltenham likely to face one of Chelsea Under-21, Peterborough, Northampton, Portsmouth, Luton/southend, Swansea Under-21/bristol Rovers and Oxford/tottenham Under-21.
three of them they are expected to take up certain positions.
“It doesn’t matter which one is where, they need to recognise where they are on the pitch and when we lose the ball they have to fall into that defensive shape.
“Again it’s something Alex is learning and he looks like he wants to take it on and I thought he did okay.”
Addai started along with fit-again skipper Jonny Mullins, Craig Alcock and Tom Field as Jacob Maddox, Ryan Broom, Chris Hussey and Luke Varney had the night off.
“Ryan Broom had a bit of a sore hamstring, so that was a precaution,” said Duff.
“He’s been in a rich vein of form. Hopefully he’ll be okay, but the same as Jacob, if they players aren’t right the players aren’t right.
“That was our ninth game in 31 days. It’s count the bodies, rest and recover,
but we’ll count the bodies on Thursday and pick a team to play Grimsby from there.
“Hopefully we’ll have a full squad to pick from other than Longy (Sean Long) and Daws (Kevin Dawson).”
Thoughts now turn to Saturday’s game with Grimsby, who sit four points above the Robins in the League Two table.
“It’s not just a big week, we have a big six weeks coming up now, playing a lot of the teams in and around us,” said Duff.
“We seem to have played teams in the top six nearly every game for the last two months, or it feels like that. Now the real work starts.
“I hope that they believe in what we are doing and try and deliver what we want from them and what they can do.
“It’s about us delivering performances.
“This competition has been very useful as we have left a couple of people out to protect them, but we haven’t done this competition down at all. “It’s been an opportunity for people. “Some have got in the team off the back of performances in this competition, so we have a smallish group now of about 20 and nearly everyone in the last game, this game and Saturday, will have been in and around playing.”