After a vital 2-0 win against Northampton Town at the PTS Academy Stadium, Cheltenham are 90 minutes away from the play-off final.
Cheltenham Town 90 Minutes Away From Wembley
First Leg Summary
Cheltenham Town host Northampton in the second leg of the EFL League Two Play-offs with a 2-0 advantage in favour of the Robins.
Charlie Raglan gave the Robins the lead in the 26th minute after the defender leaped well from a corner.
Conor Thomas put the nail in the coffin as he scored with five minutes to go in the game.
It was Owen Evans who stole the headlines as he saved a penalty from Ryan Watson early on and kept the Cobblers at bay.
Fantastic Performance and the Importance Of A 2-0 Away Victory
Cheltenham Town manager Michael Duff spoke after the game regarding the importance of defending the two-goal cushion.
“You’d always take a 2-0 away from home in any game, but to come to a tough team like Northampton, I thought the shape of the team and resilience that they showed was magnificent,” he said.
“The ball went in to our box a lot and we stood up to be counted. Owen [Evans] stood up at a big moment in the game and did his job.
“I thought they were just excellent in the way they went about it.”
The Belief of Turning the Tie Around
Northampton Town manager Keith Curle spoke about the tough loss, but believes that his team will turn the tie around on Monday night.
“Two-nil is a difficult lead to defend. That’s the message to the players: score the first goal on Monday night and change the course of the game.
“Today we had a great opportunity to score the first goal. I think we had three other penalty claims and on another night, they’re penalties. That can change the mentality of the game.
“Tonight, things didn’t quite drop for us. Monday night, I believe they will. There are goals to be had and I think there will be more goals on Monday night.”
Prediction
As previously mentioned, a two-goal will be vital for Cheltenham at home. Having had a successful regular season, they are, on paper, likely to prove too strong for the visiting Cobblers.
However, anything can happen in the play-offs, and Keith Curle will be reminding his players that come matchday.
Main Photo
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