Frustrating day Below-par Robins fall to 3-1 defeat
DARRELL Clarke admitted it had been a frustrating afternoon for the visitors after his Cheltenham side suffered a 3-1 defeat at Leyton Orient to leave them two points from safety in the Sky Bet League One relegation zone.
Ethan Galbraith and Ollie O’neill left the visitors chasing the game with firsthalf goals before Orient’s leading scorer Ruel Sotiriou ended his nine-match barren run with a superb strike late on.
Substitute Joe Nuttall reduced the deficit with a goal in the final minute of stoppage time but Clarke was left to ponder the uphill struggle ahead if his team are to avoid the drop.
“We started the game quite well, particularly in the first 20 minutes, but then we conceded two goals from outside the box that really we could have done better by getting closer at the edge of the box and blocking the shots,” Clarke said.
“I was frustrated at half-time and looking for solutions to the problems we had in the first half and try to get the next goal because the game is not over at 2-0. I think if we had taken our chances and got that next goal, we would have kicked on. It’s all ifs, buts and maybes and now we have to go again.
“Probably the last two or three games have been 45-minute performances and we need to start putting 90-minute performances together.
“What I will say, as I’ve just said to the players in there, we won’t be giving in.
“We are still in this race and we kept going until the end.
“I believe there is enough in there to keep us in this division.
“Not on today’s showing, but I am starting to see bits and pieces in the group and I’ll make sure I get the right answers for the team moving forward, in these last six games.
“We are right behind it, we know what we have to do and we have to do that by performing better than we did today.
“I will make sure I get the right answers for the team.”
Cheltenham squandered a marvellous opportunity to reduce the deficit after the break when O’s stopper Sol Brynn dropped a set-piece at the feet of Curtis Davies, who managed to screw the ball wide from four yards out.
“Lloydy (George Lloyd) has a great opportunity to give us the lead in the game,” said Clarke.
“Sometimes that’s the difference and they were clinical. We weren’t.
“Even second half, creating opportunities and not testing the keeper with quality.
“We opened them up a few times in the second half, but that little bit of quality at times, they had it and we didn’t.
“Curtis Davies had that chance when the goalkeeper spilled it, then Jordan (Thomas) has got in. Lloydy got in oneon-one and it was a performance that was a little bit off in the first half.
“Everyone was off one or two yards in our pressing and closing down, after starting the game particularly well. But we have to go again.
“It’s the ruthless business of League One. Teams like Leyton Orient have good players, who can hurt you.
“We just didn’t control those moments right, defend those moments right, or take our chances, some big chances.
Clatke went to a back four at halftime, taking Lewis Freestone off and putting Jordan Thomas on.
“We are chasing a game 2-0 and I am a manager that looks at other things and changes things.
“We might need to go to a back four. We need different options, that will get us back into form.
“We have six big games to go and I have to get those key decisions right, with the responsibility falling on my shoulders.
“We will keep going and try and get ourselves out of it.
“We kept going, it’s not lack of effort, desire, commitment - there is none of that. It’s just those quality moments.
“We get the first goal and it boosts the lads, but second half we seemed to take the catch off and I want my team to take the catch off straight away.
“We started passing, moving the ball like we should have done first half.
“It wasn’t acceptable and the last two or three performances have been 45-minute performances and we need to start putting 90 minute performances together.
“Anger at half-time doesn’t get you anywhere. I am angry if my lads aren’t having a good go and not trying.
“Angry, no, frustrated and looking for solutions to the problems we had first half and trying to get your head around that to try and get the next goal in the second half because the game’s not over at 2-0.
“If we’d got the goal, I think we’d have kicked on, but ifs, buts and maybes.
“We are still in the same situation as before kick-off, just about, but we have to take those chances, we have to take opportunities, as I keep saying to the boys.
“We are running out of games, if we don’t take the opportunities to pick up the three points, we run out of games, so we have to stand up and be counted for that.”
Leyton Orient: Brynn; Galbraith; Beckles (Simpson 62), Cooper, James; Moncur (Sanders 77), Brown; Obiero (Hunt 77), Sotirou, O’neill (Forde 70); Edwards (Agyei 70). Subs not used: Howes, Pigott.
Cheltenham Town: Southwood; Smith, Davies, Freestone (Thomas 46); Long, Pett, Kinsella, Sercombe, Ferry; Keena (Nuttall 61), Lloyd (Harrop 68). Subs not used: Pardington, Bonds, Bradbury, Williams.
I believe there is enough in there to keep us in this division Robins manager Darrell Clarke