My players were all top drawer, says boss Elliott
IPSWICH CHELTENHAM 1 1
BOSS Wade Elliott hailed a “brilliant” performance from his Cheltenham Town players after they bounced back from last weekend’s FA Cup exit at the hands of Alvechurch by taking a point at high-flying Ipswich.
Luke Woolfenden’s early goal for the hosts was cancelled out by Ryan Broom as the lowly Robins grabbed a point against the odds.
Elliott said: I thought they (his players) were brilliant, excellent. We spoke in the week and before the game about whether we wanted the Alvechurch tie to define our season.
“We had the opportunity to go out and express your personality and we had our chance to show what we think we’re about and I thought they were top drawer, to a man.
“The togetherness, the fight, the spirit. In the first half, it took us ten minutes to settle into the game, then we had some good moments. We scored a really good goal and had one or two other opportunities. You know they are a really good side, so you know you are going to be under the cosh. You have to show a completely different side and from one to 11, we defended brilliantly.
“It’s not luck. We worked in the week on when they get into positions in the final third, how we populate the box, the positions we take up for crosses and people were throwing themselves in the way of shots and blocks, putting their head on things and the goalie making saves, it isn’t luck, it’s hard work, committed people and a good performance.”
Woolfenden put Ipswich in front in the eighth minute following a corner.
Afterwards, Marcus Harness’ firsttime shot hit the crossbar and Luke Southwood came to the visitors’ rescue as he firstly turned a shot by Kane Vincent-Young around the post and then tipped away a header from George Edmundson.
The Robins’ equaliser came in the 34th minute when Broom beat goalkeeper Christian Walton at his near post and the visitors almost took a shock lead when front man Dan Nlundulu just failed to get on the end of a Liam Sercombe cross.
Cameron Humphreys fired at Southwood and Town had a hatful of chances to win it, including Panutche Camara hitting a post, but they failed to finish things off.
Ipswich: Walton, Donacien (Vincent-Young 17), Woolfenden, Edmundson, Burns (Jackson 75), Humphreys (Burgess 90), Morsy, Davis, Chaplin (Camara 90), Harness (Edwards 75), Ladapo. Not Used: Keogh, Hladky. Booked: Morsy.
Goals: Woolfenden 8.
Cheltenham: Southwood, Long, Raglan, Freestone, Broom, Bonds, Sercombe, Williams (Hutchinson 66), Olayinka (Adshead 72), Nlundulu (Chapman 85), Norton (Lloyd 66). Not Used: Bradbury, Brown, MacDonald. Booked: Southwood, Adshead, Freestone.
Goals: Broom 34.
Attendance: 25,400.
Referee: Geoff Eltringham (Tyne & Wear).
■ Cheltenham have been drawn against Gloucestershire rivals Forest Green in the second round of the Papa John’s EFL Trophy.
The Robins went through as group runners-up to MK Dons, setting up an away tie in the last 32. Forest Green, meanwhile, won their group with three victories out of three.
The game is scheduled for the week commencing November 21, with their first League One meeting on Saturday, December 10.
Southern section draw: Colchester v Bristol Rov, Stevenage v Arsenal U21s, Wimbledon v Sutton, MK
Dons v Newport, Ipswich v Portsmouth, Forest Green v Cheltenham, Plymouth v Charlton, Chelsea U21s v Peterborough. Northern section: Bolton v Barrow, Everton U21 v Mansfield, Salford v Bradford, Port Vale v Barnsley, Man Utd U21s v Wolves U21s, Grimsby v Accrington, Burton v Tranmere, Lincoln v Morecambe.