Wycombe manager Matt Bloomfield praised his players for not letting their heads drop after being thwarted on a number of occasions before two late goals gave them a 2-0 victory over Cheltenham.
The Chairboys ended February the way they started it by defeating the struggling Robins, but they were frustrated for 86 minutes by a terrific performance by Cheltenham goalkeeper Luke Southwood.
Eventually, goals from Joe Low and Beryly Lubala gave them a first win in four games in League One and condemned the visitors to a first defeat in five, leaving them three points adrift of safety.
Bloomfield said: “I was really pleased with their resilience in terms of the disappointment of the penalty miss, which has happened at times this season, the disappointment of that not going in and then maybe a bit of edginess about the place.
“I felt like Cheltenham’s substitutions gave them a bit of fresh energy and the gaps were getting a little bit too big between our units, so we had to try and bring fresh energy on ourselves.
“So, for our boys to show that resilience, and I’ve said it a couple of times, they’ve had a lot to deal with this year in terms of late knocks, and bits and pieces.
“Slowly but surely, the tide’s turning in our favour and that’s another clean sheet which we’ve got to be really pleased about – I’m really pleased for Franco [Ravizzoli] in goal, I thought he was excellent.”
Southwood tipped Dale Taylor’s volley onto the bar in the first half and after the break kept out a Freddie Potts penalty before making another superb stop from Garath McCleary.
But he was finally beaten when Low blasted in from close range from a McCleary corner before Lubala sealed the points with a stunning strike from distance into the top corner.
Cheltenham boss Darrell Clarke said: “No complaints from me [about the result], we were miles off with our performance.
“I thought all game we were miles off. We were searching for answers on the sideline, we never felt comfortable.
“Wycombe were by miles the better team on the day and we got what we deserved: nothing.
“I don’t want to be too critical of my boys, they’ve been excellent, but tonight we were nowhere near the standards and the level we needed to win a League One game, that’s for sure.
“I don’t want to repeat myself but whenever we’re playing these games in the league, in the division we’re in, I can’t afford to have only two or three players be on the top of their game. I need nine or 10 players and tonight we didn’t have that. We need a reaction.”
Rakitic joins Hajduk Split after six-month Saudi spell
Ivan Rakitic has completed a permanent transfer to Hajduk Split following the termination of his contract by mutual consent at Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab.
Rakitic, who made eight appearances for Vitor Pereira's side, leaves the club six months after joining from Sevilla in the January transfer window.
The 36-year-old scored on his debut against Damac FC, but would miss much of the season through injury as Al-Shabab finished eighth in the league.
Rakitic, who was born in Switzerland, joins the 15-time Croatian Football League champions on a year-long deal, with the option of a further year.
The former Barcelona midfielder arrives at the club with great pedigree, having made 106 appearances for Croatia 12-year international career.
Rakitic was part of Zlatko Dalic's side that reached the World Cup final in 2018, and has won 16 honours throughout his professional career at club level.
Gerrard and Lampard should be favourites for England job, says Redknapp
Harry Redknapp believes Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard should be on the FA's list to be the next England manager.
Gareth Southgate stepped down as the Three Lions boss earlier this week following their Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain in Germany.
Since then, speculation over who will become the next England manager is rife, with Eddie Howe and Graham Potter among the candidates on the FA's list of targets.
Mauricio Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola have also seen their names linked to the vacant position.
However, Redknapp believes two names are being excluded from discussions about Southgate's successor due to their struggles in the Premier League.
Gerrard is currently managing Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq following his departure from Aston Villa after less than a year in charge, which saw him leave with the club sitting just above the relegation zone.
Meanwhile, Lampard has been out of work since his second spell at Chelsea when he took interim charge after being sacked by Everton.
"The men I see as obvious front-runners will be lucky to even get an interview," Redknapp said in his column in The Sun.
"I doubt there are many who'd agree with me when I say the FA should look no further than Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard for the next Three Lions boss.
"Either of them could do the job standing on their head, yet probably neither will get so much as a phone call.
"Mind you, plenty of people will insist there's no reason why they should because they've already written off both as failures. Forgetting that Frank reached an FA Cup final and finished fourth in his first spell at Chelsea. Or the fact that Everton were in such a mess, he never had a prayer when he went there.
"There's every chance they'll gloss over Stevie's time at Rangers, despite their first title win in a decade — unbeaten as well — and say he was a flop at Aston Villa.
"But you show me a manager who's not had a tough time of it somewhere down the line. Potter certainly did at Chelsea — he only lasted 31 games and lost 11 of them. So did Unai Emery, the man who replaced Stevie as boss at Villa, when he was Arsenal manager. It happens to everyone out there.
"So, what's the difference between Potter and Frank? Why is one an obvious candidate for England, yet the other not even worthy of a mention?"
Lampard and Gerrard both earned over 100 caps for England during their playing careers, though they never got further than the quarter-finals at a major tournament.
Redknapp believes the former midfielders have the experience and the reputation to help them succeed on the big stage.
"If the FA want someone steeped in football knowledge — at international level too — and who knows the game inside out at that level, both Frank and Stevie leave them standing," Redknapp added.
"The players would love it as well. They'd be desperate to play for them. They would have nothing but respect whether it was Lampard or Gerrard as boss.
"So, are they both on the scrap heap for good because they've had a failure somewhere down the line? There won't be any managers left before long if that's all it takes."
Ten Hag convinced Antony can still be a success at Man Utd
Erik ten Hag is still convinced Antony can make a success of his time with Manchester United after an underwhelming first two seasons at Old Trafford.
Antony joined United in an £85million (€100m) deal in 2022, reuniting with Ten Hag after playing under him at Ajax.
He has struggled to live up to expectations since arriving in England, only managing five goals and three assists in 54 Premier League appearances.
Ten Hag, however, has refuted suggestions he convinced United to pay over the odds for a player he knew well from his time in the Eredivisie.
The Dutchman also remains convinced the Brazilian will come good as he approaches his third season with the Red Devils.
Speaking to AD Sportwereld, Ten Hag said of the deal to sign Antony: "I don't go over the budget. I've never even had a budget.
"At United, the budgets lie with the owners and management.
"He certainly showed potential in the first month: he scored three times in his first three games.
"After that it became more difficult, last season was not good. But I am still convinced that he has the potential to play at this club."
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