Cheltenham Town manager Steve Cotterill expressed his frustration after a narrow 3-2 defeat at Tranmere Rovers, insisting his team did not deserve to lose.
Reflecting on the match, Cotterill pinpointed key moments that shaped the result. An unfortunate own goal early in the game, coupled with giving the ball away too easily, put Cheltenham on the back foot almost immediately. “They beat us in a 1v1 that I wouldn’t have expected,” Cotterill said, highlighting defensive positioning issues that led to the opening goal. The second goal stemmed from a hurried defense under pressure, which allowed the Tranmere striker to capitalize in a one-on-one situation with Cheltenham’s goalkeeper Joe Day.
Despite these setbacks, Cotterill praised his team’s performance for much of the match. “We were the better team in both halves,” he stressed, noting Cheltenham’s efforts to fight back and equalize at 2-2. After that, the team pushed hard for a win, exhibiting a strong attacking presence and making multiple dangerous crosses into the box. However, a late free-kick goal from Tranmere ultimately decided the match. Cotterill questioned the effectiveness of Cheltenham’s defensive wall but acknowledged the unpredictability of the final goal, which hit the post, then the goalkeeper, before going in.
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Highlighting positive moments, Cotterill mentioned the quality goals scored, including a well-executed assist by Jake Bickerstaff. He emphasized that the team will need to minimize mistakes moving forward but that overall, their style and commitment were on display. “If you are building something long-term,” he said, “I’d rather play how we did today than just scrape a win.”
The manager also gave updates on player fitness and substitutions. Ben Stevenson left the game at halftime with a shin injury requiring stitches from a challenge with Sam Finley. Hakeeb Adelakun came on and made an immediate impact, showing threat even in limited minutes. Cotterill also addressed the suspension of Luke Young and the absence of Isaac Hutchinson against his parent club, signaling tough midfield selection decisions ahead.
Despite his visible disappointment after the game, Cotterill remained optimistic. “We kept playing up until the final whistle,” he said, reaffirming the belief that maintaining this level of performance will lead to more wins. He also noted the importance of responding positively to adversity and continuing to learn from individual errors.
Looking forward, Cotterill remains focused on building a resilient team ready to compete fiercely in the coming matches, confident that the quality demonstrated against Tranmere will translate into points on the board.