Michael Duff praised the professionalism of Alfie May after his second-half goal earned Cheltenham a 1-0 home win over Oxford.

May was due to be on the bench, but Callum Wright’s late withdrawal saw him reinstated and he touched in Kyle Joseph’s low ball from the right in the 68th minute to seal the Robins’ second successive victory in Sky Bet League One.

“Alfie was left out of the team on Friday so it shows you something about his character that he has walked in the dressing room this morning and I’ve told him he’s starting,” Duff said.

“It’s a good job he didn’t go out on the lash last night, or start smoking Woodbines, or anything like that!

“But they are all going to be needed and it shows you the professionalism that he looked after himself, did the right things, listened to the information that was given on Friday, even though he knew he wasn’t playing and he got his rewards. I thought he was outstanding.”

The result lifted newly promoted Cheltenham up to ninth in the table, but they were forced to withstand some heavy pressure in the first half.

Scott Flinders made two fine saves to keep out rasping drives from James Henry, touching one around a post at full stretch and turning the other over.

The closest Cheltenham came to finding the net in the first half was when May saw an effort deflected against the near post in the first minute, but Oxford then did most of the pressing.

Cheltenham showed a marked improvement in the second period, with Ellis Chapman firing one over from the edge of the box before Watford loanee Mattie Pollock headed Chris Hussey’s free-kick just past a post.

Chapman’s cross was nodded wide by Joseph before May’s breakthrough settled things in favour of the home side, who kept their first clean sheet back in League One.

Oxford boss Karl Robinson admitted his side faded after a positive start at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium, but he remains confident his side are close to clicking.

“It’s frustrating and we have to take a look at ourselves,” he said.

“We’ve been very good, not taken our chances and then become very normal.

“I would like my players to disconnect from the emotion of it sometimes. Don’t think that any of us go away thinking everything’s alright.

“I don’t think it fell for us, but we weren’t ruthless enough in taking our chances. We got wrapped up in the emotion.

“It will click though, I’m confident of that.”