Cheltenham Town manager Martin Allen interviewed after the 2-1 Coca-Cola League One win over Bristol Rovers at Whaddon Road  - his first game in charge:

"It was a lovely occasion. The pitch was beautiful and the passionate crowd got behind the players. They gave them real backing especially in the second half when it was backs to the wall. You could feel the anxiety in the dressing room at half time. We had made a couple of mistakes just before the break and that gave them some impetus so the second half was tough.

"But all the players put their bodies on the line and defended valiantly and held out for the win.

"It was thanks to two very good goals by Barry Hayles. He's been great, as they all have been. Barry's a lovely guy. He's full of enthusiasm, down to Earth and he isn't a big timer. I had a nice chat with him and he's just a decent bloke so to see him bag a couple was a nice boost for everyone.

"The players were struggling in the second half after they scored their goal. These players have taken some tankings so to take a body blow like that affected their confidence understandably. Decision making goes wrong in that situation and you can't hide away from that, so that's why we made a change.

"We added another defender and went 4-5-1. Some people will say that's negative but I say that's a positive move. It blocked their attacks. They have players that they have paid a lot of money for and they can score goals. We stopped that, and it wasn't pretty, but I think the crowd reacted to that because they saw the players put their bodies on the line and as a paying customer you can't ask any more than that.

"The result is always the top line. It's so important to get a win in professional football. At younger levels you're looking for performances but we're looking to stem the tide here at the moment.

"We've been knocked over in our last few boxing matches but tonight we've gone the distance. We have to be pleased with that.

"Scott Murray is a good bloke. I don't think he's match fit and maybe I should have brought him off earlier. I knew he would give us a burst and he did well to get involved in the first goal. But when we were under the cosh, and after he had been booked, I couldn't afford to go down to ten players so I took him off.

"I'll make a decision about Dean Sinclair in the morning. I'll speak with the chairman and decide then.

"This victory will settle the players down. They've worked with me for a few days now. They're probably worried about what I was going to be doing or whether they'll get bombed out. I've told everybody they have time but I don't like losing. What I do like is the commitment, the energy, the passion and the camaraderie. You saw them when they scored, and at the end of the game. That was fantastic. They've worked bloody hard and the credit is theirs. You can lead a horse to the water but you can't make it drink it and fair play to them all, they've gone in their tonight and stuck their head in where it matters."