Cheltenham Town FC

Cheltenham Town manager Mark Yates after the 2-1 win at Cambridge United :

We started brilliantly and we had a team who has been strong at home this season change their shape after 15 minutes because we were getting in and causing them problems.



Credit to them, they got back into the game. We asked for a big effort in the second half and I certainly got it.
Byron did a magnificent shift on Saturday for 60 minutes, but I wanted Terry and John to chase everything, run in behind and terrorise.
It was blowing a gale, it was freezing and it’s hard to play decent football, but I knew I’d picked the right team.
They always looked a threat, we had to dig in, fight and make last ditch tackles. Trev had to make a couple of saves, but the effort I got was magnificent.
We deserved the luck we got and our effort alone deserved three points. We wanted a good week and we are two third of the way through a good week now.
We know Matt Richards has good technique. They all put a shift in and that’s what the supporters want to see. We are looking a threat now, which is good.
It was Terry Gornell’s goal definitely, no doubt about it. Jason Taylor made a great tackle and pass to John, who turned his man and rifled in a great cross for Terry.
Me and their manager had a disagreement and he called my team a non-league team and said I was a non-league manager.
I didn’t say anything wrong, but the referee asked me not to come and sit on the dugout. He was out of order and he tried to change his tune, but I knew what he said and so did he, end of story. I shook his hand at the end, but when people call my team a non-league team I will defend them.
It was petty, but I’ll stand up for my players and my club. We’ve been a League club for 15 years now and I don’t take too kindly to being called a non-league team.
I told my players what he said and told them to prove him wrong with our performance in the second half.
There is a really good spirit about us and the belief and energy is there. I’ll forgive them for Shrewsbury away because we’ve turned up in nearly every game in a tough league. We are not an easy game for any team.
The players had a huddle after the game and they deserved it. I was on the phone to Ian Hutton (fitness coach) in the second half and that’s an experience I don’t want to happen again.
I don’t like anyone putting my team down and I will defend them if I have to.