Cheltenham Town manager Michael Duff labelled fans booing his team during their 3-1 win against Wimbledon on Saturday as ‘disappointing.’
There were audible complaints from certain sections of the Jonny-Rocks Stadium as the Robins were 1-0 down until the 81st minute, only for goals from Callum Wright, George Lloyd and Alfie May to turn the game around.
Duff admitted, “I understand when we get beat 5-0 at Cambridge, I understand the booing, but when there’s half an hour or 20 minutes to go and we’re losing 1-0 and we’ve had the season that we have, it’s a little bit disappointing.
“I understand that they work all week and that’s why they want to vent their frustration and they’re well within their rights.”
The Robins are currently sat just inside the top half of League One in their first season back in the third division since 2009.
“The lads stuck to the process of what we want to do,” added Duff, “the easy thing for the crowd to do is want us to whack it or boot it to George Lloyd and Alfie May. We don’t want to boot it.
“There was a five or six minute period which got us a foothold in the game. We didn’t look like scoring in that period, I get that, and I understand the supporters frustrations. Ultimately they’ve paid the money so they can do what they want.”
Duff’s side have won three of their last four games and have a realistic opportunity to earn the club’s first ever League One top half finish with eight games to go this season.
The manager was happy that his team upheld their ways in the face of adversity after falling behind to relegation threatened Wimbledon.
“The most pleasing part from my part is that the players stuck with what we want to do, it benefitted them over the past two or three years, it’s how we work. You might become a victim of your success, we just need a reality check sometimes, don’t disrespect the opposition.
“They [Wimbledon] are fighting tooth and nail just as we would have been and have been, but it’s football and it’s a game of opinions. That’s why when you go down to the pub you get three blokes that have watched exactly the same game with three completely different opinions.
“It’s not a thought that you can’t do it or anything like that, I understand, but from the players point of view, that’s the way we want to play.”
Cheltenham now travel to promotion chasing Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday night as they look to finish the season strongly after a successful campaign so far.
