Ian Baraclough praised goalscorer Matty Taylor after he fired Cheltenham to victory at Cambridge.

The Robins lifted themselves within five points from safety in League One after a first win on their travels since December, after losing by a single goal at Northampton, Bolton and Derby.

Taylor has scored in each of his two appearances since signing from Forest Green in the January transfer window.

“Who do you want on the end of it but him?” Baraclough said afterwards, speaking to the media in place of Cheltenham boss Darrell Clarke.

“It’s the only place he can put it, in that corner, and he’s found it. That’s why we wanted to bring him in and that’s why he’s in the building.

“The Derby game and the Bolton game I thought we were excellent and should have come away with something. We were a little bit off it last week (losing 3-1 at home to Wycombe), so a perfect response to what could have been a tricky situation and a tricky game, because Cambridge have been quite decent at home.

“The middle of the park we tightened up, we won most of the second balls, we tried to play a little bit more when we got the ball and that’s where the goal from Taylor comes in.”

Baraclough also praised goalkeeper Luke Southwood following several vital stops before half-time.

“It’s when you want your keeper to stand up and make big saves,” he said. “He’s done that and I’ve just said to him it’s as much him scoring the winner as Tayls has because there are three big moments in the first half.”

Neil Harris felt his Cambridge side had plenty of chances to secure a result but bemoaned their failure to take them.

“It was a poor performance that culminates in a really poor result,” said Harris. “It’s my biggest disappointment since I’ve been at the club.

“Today the first goal was going to be key against Cheltenham. We’ve missed four one-on-ones and two absolute sitters in the six-yard box, had a stonewall penalty turned down and they’ve scored from their only shot on target.

“My glass is definitely half-empty. I can accept a poor performance if you get a clean sheet or a result out of it.

“I could only see Cheltenham scoring one of two ways. One was smashing it in the box and picking up a second ball, which they’re very, very good at, or us shooting ourselves in the foot by giving the ball away, which we did leading to the goal.

“It was a really composed finished by an accomplished striker but we didn’t help ourselves with it. We gave a poor goal away and we weren’t good enough to score. It’s not a good combination in football.”