Steve Cotterill praised his Cheltenham Town squad for their resilience after a closely contested 2-1 win against Gillingham. “We had to keep going because we never really got started properly,” he explained. “Tonight felt like the ‘after the Lord Mayor’s’ performance—we got safe, and the lads have been under a lot of stress this season. The key was going the extra yard, even if we didn’t always play with the needed sharpness.”
Goalkeeper Joe Day played a crucial role, making several important saves in the first half, which Cotterill acknowledged as pivotal to the victory. “Thankfully, their keeper didn’t have the same luck late on,” Cotterill noted.
One of the standout moments came from Mo Faal, whose late-game finish sealed the win. Despite a sickness bug that sidelined him from training earlier in the week, Faal impressed off the bench. “He’s been out a long time, but when I brought him in, I knew he would deliver and get us points—and he already has. Plus, he’s gelled perfectly with the squad off the pitch as well.”
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Isaac Hutchinson also found the net, marking his 20th goal of the season. Cotterill highlighted Hutchinson’s relentless work rate, despite showing signs of fatigue. “He runs his socks off and always comes up with a goal when we need one.”
However, it was defender Luke Young who earned the manager’s highest praise. “By a country mile, he was our best player tonight. He covered every blade of grass with incredible professionalism and is a great character who sets the tone for the whole team.”
With Ben Stevenson sidelined by injury, Young has stepped into a deeper midfield role, which Cotterill believes he has adapted to well. Yet, the manager remains cautious about rushing Stevenson’s return. “Ben’s desperate to come back, but we have to balance playing him now against his long-term fitness and summer prep. It’s a tricky decision given our packed schedule.”
On a lighter note, Cotterill was asked about the prospect of being granted the Freedom of the Town, as Phil Parkinson recently was in Wrexham. He joked, “I’ve pretty much given up hope on that, but it would certainly be a nice accolade. Though, I might just want to park on double yellow lines if that happened!”
Overall, Cotterill acknowledged the hard work and determination of his players in securing three valuable points during a challenging period. “We just shaded it and it’s a big bonus for us this season.”