Opposition view: 'Devastated' Cheltenham were 'beaten up' by Cobblers, admits Duff

Cheltenham Town manager Michael Duff admitted his side were 'beaten up' by the Cobblers during Monday's astonishing League Two play-off semi-final defeat at Whaddon Road.

The Robins became the first team in League Two play-off history to win an away first leg by two goals or more and not progress to the final following a stunning collapse on Monday evening.

They had won 2-0 at the PTS last Thursday but were outplayed by an inspired Cobblers team in the return game as Callum Morton's second-half brace and another for Vadaine Oliver sent Cobblers on their way to Wembley.

"We didn't turn up," admitted Duff. "We got beaten up. We didn't do the basics of the game as we normally do well. We didn't do any part of it well.

"That put us on the back foot and then we didn't pass the ball particularly well. Every department of the game we didn't do very well - that's why you get a result like that.

"Generally we've done it well all season. It's the first time we've been beaten up all season and the third goal probably encapsulated the night's performance.

"It's disappointing because it was on the biggest stage. But you've got to suck it up and learn from it."

Oliver headed home on just nine minutes and Cheltenham never recovered as their season ended in crushing disappointment.

"I don't think the referee helped the situation but it wasn't his fault we got beat 3-0 tonight - they deserved it," he added. "I think a few players froze and I'm not sure we won a tackle in the first 15 minutes.

"They play in a very basic way but they do it very effectively. I'm not going to say there's a certain way to play - play to your strengths - and they did it.

"I thought Oliver was a handful, Callum Morton never stopped running all game, and they did it better than us, there's no getting away from it.

"The ultimate feeling is the players are devastated because that's a year's work that. Ultimately if you don't head it and kick it as much as they do it doesn't matter what formation, what patterns, all that sort of stuff, you're never going to have the ball."