New system pays dividends as Robins earn third Trophy win
MICHAEL Duff praised his Cheltenham team as they made it three Papa Johns Trophy wins out of three with three clean sheets after edging out Norwich U23s 1-0 on Tuesday night.
A goal from the returning George Lloyd secured a home tie in the next round as Duff set his much-changed side up in a 4-3-3 formation and spent much of the evening watching (and barking orders) from the back of the main stand
“I thought we were good today. We played a different formation and it’s something we’ve been wanting to look out for a while, so we did a bit of work on it on Monday.
“It’s something we want to be able to flip to in a positive way, not always to see a game out.
“I thought the lads gave a good account of themselves and it’s difficult because we’d only done one session, not without the ball so much, but with it, with different patterns.
“It’s a completely different way of playing. There are bits of it that look the same as a Saturday, because Chris Clements drops right in to make the back three and you just play as wing-backs.
“There were certain things we were looking for and we managed to get them, particularly in the first half.“
“We saw it out in the end, dogged, resilient, little bit more back to what we had been. The one moment of quality in the game, which came from good shape and it was a good finish from Lloydy (George Lloyd).”
Lloyd converted a flick from Reuben Reid in the 67th minute, and Duff is pleased to have options up front - and competition in other areas of the team.
“Lloydy was in a rich vein of formwhen he came out of the team and he’s come back into the team and looked how he was,” said Duff.
“Clem (Chris Clements) has come back in the team and done well. Lewis Freestone came into the team and did well. Ellis Chapman did well. Everyone that played today has shown they are ready.
“Grant Horton was excellent. It’s not his natural position, but his composure on the ball in the first half and some of his balls into the front were excellent.
“That’s just a few of a team performance. Scott Flinders coming back, playing his first 90 minutes and keeping a clean sheet. Lots of positives.”
At one stage in the second half, Cheltenham had four academy graduates on the field - but Duff was keen to stress they are there on merit.
“I won’t put people on the pitch just to make numbers up, or to make the academy look good,” he said.
“They need to be good enough because there is no point in having players playing in this and then being released in a year’s time.
“Grant has got on the pitch through merit. Chambo (Tom Chamberlain) got a pro through merit, Callum (Ebanks) as well.
“We won’t put them on the pitch to make numbers up and to get stats up about debuts and things like that.
“The academy know that as well now. The days of playing one to keep them happy doesn’t happen any more.”
Teenager Ebanks made his first-team debut in the last 13 minutes and Duff said he is likely to be loaned out soon.
“He’s played no football, for probably a couple of months now, other than half an hour for the youth team at the weekend and 15 minutes today.
“He’s one we like and he’s signed a three-year deal, so we are not looking at him affecting the first team in the next 12 months.
“He will probably go out on loan and get some experience and he’s one for the future.
“Callum has been out for two months so he’s not ready and he’s not fit. We might just put him out at Evesham, get some minutes, get match fit and see how he does there.
“If he does well, we’ll move him up. He needs to be stretched but he also needs to be playing and confident.
“We are not expecting him to affect the first team in the next 12 months and that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a future. He is still a scholar. ”
Young goalkeeper Max Harris is also set for a loan move.
“Depending on what we do and where we go, it might be another one we look to get out on loan, if we deem Scott ready, to get Max minutes and then we’ll have to make a decision in January which way we go.” said Duff. Cheltenham: Flinders, Horton, Bowry, Raglan, Freestone, Sang, Clements, Chapman (Chamberlain 61), Lloyd (Blair 80), Reid (Ebanks 77), Addai. Subs not Uused: Williams, Boyle, Harris, Sercombe
Norwich U21: Mccracken, Vaughan, Omobamidele, Tomkinson, Nizet Giurgi, Mcalear, Dronfield, Dennis (Dickson-peters 79), Omotoye, Hondermarck (Hutchinson 88).Subs Not Used: Khumbeni, Blair, Jackson