Karl Robinson was delighted to see Salford come back from behind to beat Cheltenham 2-1 thanks to Hakeeb Adelakun’s second-half brace.
But the boss admitted his team will need to show a vast improvement if they are to continue their improving results in League Two.
The Robins had taken the lead through Ethon Archer three minutes after half-time but Adelakun played a starring role for the Ammies to seal their second win of the campaign.
“It’s pleasing that we’ve won, but if we’d come in 2-0 down at half-time I don’t think we could have had many grievances, the first half was rubbish,” Robinson admitted.
“We rode our luck in the first half with the most unfamiliar performance I’ve seen from this team. Our distances and lack of connection.
“I want to enjoy this win, but we have to be better with the quality of player we have and the squad we have.
“But I am pleased for Hakeeb, who has worked hard for that. He waited for a different kind of move in the summer, but I think he really feels at home here, as a lot of them do.”
Cheltenham looked far more threatening in the first period, with Joel Colwill and Luke Young both seeing efforts blocked in the box.
Jamie Jones flew to push away a well-stuck free-kick from Young in the 19th minute and Archer’s shot was blocked by Tom Edwards as Salford were forced to defend their box well.
Jones denied Arkell Jude-Boyd in first-half stoppage time, but Archer was given space to put Cheltenham in front with an effort that curled into the top right corner for his first EFL goal.
Adelakun was sent on in the 57th minute and with almost his first touch he stroked the equaliser past Owen Evans on the hour.
Salford looked the more likely winners and Adelakun won it in the 86th minute with another vicious shot, giving Evans no chance after Conor McAleny’s lay-off.
Cheltenham boss Michael Flynn felt his team should have been in front at half-time.
“We threw it away by not punishing them in the first half,” he said.
“We were absolutely superb first half, the best we’ve played this season. We just didn’t capitalise on it.
“The two goals we conceded were good strikes, although the second took a deflection.
“I had to take off Arkell (Jude-Boyd) and Joel (Colwill) because they were tired and couldn’t run anymore. That killed us a bit.
“There were a lot of positives to take from it, so won’t go away completely deflated, but we need to learn how to see a game out.”
