Cheltenham deserved that point – Duff
CAMBRIDGE UNITED .... 2 CHELTENHAM TOWN .... 2
CHELTENHAM manager Michael Duff believes his side deserved their point at Cambridge on the final day of the regular season in League One, writes Jon Palmer.
Former Robins loanee Sam Smith twice put the home side into the lead, but Alfie May replied on both occasions – the first almost immediately and the second in stoppage-time.
Cheltenham also had Will Boyle sent off for a second yellow card when 2-1 behind, and asked if thought justice had been done with the late leveller, Duff said: “Probably on chances, yes. They were better than us, box to box, but on actual chances, Scott (Flinders) has made a couple of saves, but Alfie (May) has missed a sitter and we can’t believe it.
“I don’t think we deserved to go out losing three in a row, based on the last two performances.
“I wasn’t particularly pleased with the performance, but I was pleased with the result.
“We were actually better with ten men because we started passing the ball properly, which is the weirdness of football.
“An end of season day, with nice weather, two mid-table teams and I thought it was quite an entertaining game, but I am not sure how much quality there was within it.”
On Boyle’s dismissal, Duff added: “I don’t think it’s a red card. I think he tries to pin the lad. You need to use your arms. (Joe) Ironside is a big player who does exactly the same thing.
“It’s not a swinging arm, he’s not gone to do him, so being brutally honest I am pretty fed up of referees in the last three or four weeks because they’ve not been very good in my opinion.”
The game burst into life after 22 minutes as both sides’ top scorers netted within a minute.
The Us took the lead through Sam Smith’s 20th goal of the season, a fine low finish from the edge of the area, but the visitors were level straight from kick-off when May latched onto a shot before rounding Will Mannion and netting for the 25th time in the campaign.
Five minutes after half-time, the hosts went back ahead, with Jack Iredale’s angled delivery into the box smashed home brilliantly on the volley by Smith, but May pouncing on a Jubril Okedina error to fire home late on.
Cambridge: Mannion, Bennett, Okedina, Jones, Iredale, Simper, O’Neil (May 62), Tracey (Ironside 76), Hoolahan (Yearn 88), Knibbs, Smith. Not Used: Mitov, Brophy, Lankester, Worman.
Booked: Simper, O’Neil.
Goals: Smith 22, 50.
Cheltenham: Flinders, Raglan, Pollock, Boyle, Long (Brown 62), Wright, Bonds (Ramsey 73), Sercombe, Freestone (B Williams 73), May, Lloyd. Not Used: Evans, Chapman, Hutchinson, Guinan.
Sent Off: Boyle (82).
Booked: Long, Boyle, Raglan, May.
Goals: May 23, 90.
Attendance: 5,880.
Referee: Tom Reeves (Birmingham).