Fine margins Thomas sinks his former club with Barnsley winner
FORMER Cheltenham Town scholar Luke Thomas scored the only goal of the game to earn Michael Duff his first win as Barnsley boss, against the club he has just left.
Thomas, who is from the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, seized on a loose pass from Alfie May in the 66th minute and beat Luke Southwood with a fine left-footed curler from outside the penalty area.
Cheltenham did create chances at Oakwell, with May touching an effort over the bar after a good ball in from George Lloyd on the left three minutes before Thomas’ strike.
Earlier, Taylor Perry created an opening for Dan Nlundulu, which he placed wide of the left post in the seventh minute.
Southwood made a one-on-one save from Jack Aitchison midway through the first period. West Brom loanee Caleb Taylor, 19, was handed his full debut and put in an assured performance in the middle of the Robins’ back three.
Wade Elliott’s view Have you just come out the wrong side of a game of fine margins?
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Yes, it wasn’t a classic and we knew it was always going to be scrappy. Two similar systems and styles. We spoke about it before the game and at halftime that it was always going to be a game of a moment and we didn’t expect it to be high scoring. We thought it’d be decided by one moment and they have managed to nick the moment. In a game with nothing in it, they are on the ceiling and clapping four sides of the ground and we are in the dressing room feeling terrible and hurting like mad when in reality, there was very little in the game.
» How did you view the performance?
It was okay. We didn’t ever pass it like we did last week and we didn’t have the same cutting edge, but we expected that because we knew what type of game it would be. We knew we’d get turned round and we’d have to fight for second balls. We knew they’d be happy to sit into a back five, so we expected it to be scrappy and dogged and in all those aspects of the game I was pretty happy. It maybe took us 10 minutes to find our rhythm. We had to weather a bit of pressure at the start of the second half and we saw that out. The subs made an impact. We got the momentum of the game back and that was when the goal came. When it did come, we knew they’d make it very difficult.
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They killed the game off very well didn’t they?
Yes. I am screaming at the ref and the fourth official, but I am not sure other than start going round booking people, how much more they can do to speed that up really. It’s frustrating because people have paid their money to watch a game, but I suppose that’s the privilege you get when you are 1-0 up.
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Were you happier defensively than you were last Saturday?
We restricted them to very few chances. Caleb (Taylor) came in and did very well. I know he’s played a game for West Brom, but he’s not had many games and he’s been chucked in for his debut and I thought he acquitted himself really well.
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Lewis Freestone moved to left wingback. How do you think he did?
You know what you are going to get from Lewis and he can hold an end up there. He does well there. He has established himself as a left-sided centrehalf, but we know he’s one of the few we have who we know will always do a job for us and be reliable and he can be trusted.
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It’s his back and it wasn’t worth risking for one game. Hopefully he’ll be back next weekend.
» You certainly went for it, with four
What’s Ben Williams’ injury? strikers on the pitch
Yes, we knew they’d lost the game last week, they are 1-0 up and we knew they’d get jittery. We thought we could gamble and put more and more pressure on them. We were waiting for something to fall to us. We had one or two chances, but nothing clear-cut. A game of really fine margins. We’ve come out on the wrong side and the key is that we don’t turn it into a tragedy. We internalise the hurt and the pain and it’s important the players keep focusing on performances.
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What’s the biggest thing you will be working on?
be honest. Him and Pato (Martin Paterson) both know me well enough that they know I won’t be the best of company.
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Caleb Taylor carries himself with a maturity beyond his 19 years
Yes, that was all the reports we had. West Brom think really highly of him. He is obviously talented, but there are lots of talented players out there. The ones that make it to the top are the ones who have the best mentality and temperament and not putting the horse before the cart, from what I’ve seen and the way he’s conducted himself around the place, his mentality and temperament are very good.
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Does the deeper midfield role suit Dan Adshead’s attributes?
He has lots of attributes, Dan. He’s a good footballer, he has good energy, he has a little bit of bite about him so he’ll stick his foot in. He’s a little bit of a throwback midfielder that does a little bit of everything.
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Do you have to give Barnsley credit for the way they kept Dan Nlundulu quiet?
They have a strong back three, so you have to respect the squad of players they have got. I speak to their manager and I have an idea of where they are in the market. Dan and Alfie (May) have had to scrap for every half chance and moment that they get. You have to expect that away from home against one of the favourites for promotion. You are going to have to work hard for your chances and they aren’t going to come along like buses.
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Will you have a detailed discussion about the game with Michael?
We’ll chat about the game now. I know we are friends, but I was desperate to beat him. I am hurting, the players in the dressing room are hurting, so I’ll have to swallow that for the next half an hour and go and be as polite and civil as I can, but I’ve said to the players, bottle it up, internalise it and channel it in the best way possible, getting a reaction on Monday and Tuesday.
Barnsley (3-5-2): Collins; Mccarthy, Andersen,
It’s a really quick turnaround, so we
Kitching; Williams, Styles, Benson, Thomas
have an idea of what we’ll need to do (Hondermarck 88), Cadden (Connell 37);
against Exeter and then it’ll be a oneday Norwood (Cole 61), Aitchison (Marsh 61). Subs
not used: Walton, Moon, Cundy. prep for that. We’ll debrief this,
Cheltenham Town (3-5-2): Southwood; Long, C
more by video and then we’ll quickly Taylor, Raglan (Brown 73); Jackson, Bonds
turn our attention to Exeter. (Adshead 56), Sercombe, Perry (Ebanks 73),
Freestone; May, Nlundulu (Lloyd 56). Subs not
» Have you had a chat with Michael
used: Macdonald, Chapman, Horton.
Duff yet? Referee: Carl Brook.
No, I am not looking forward to it to Attendance: 10,289 (413 away).
I am hurting, the players in the dressing room are hurting
Wade Elliott after the 1-0 defeat at Barnsley