 Cheltenham boss John Ward salutes his side's 1-0 victory over Grimsby |
Boss John Ward hailed his Cheltenham side as they beat Grimsby 1-0 in the play-off final to secure promotion into League One. "I'm just delighted for the lads - they thoroughly deserved it," Ward said.
"I've got sympathy for Grimsby, they are a quality side and it shows the enormity of what we have achieved that we beat them.
"But next season we'll be playing the likes of Nottingham Forest and Bristol City and that's just incredible."
Ward insisted his side will look forward to the challenge of moving into League One next season.
"I think the lads will really relish it," he said.
"I'm not going to make too many signings in the summer so I'll be giving them another chance to show what they can do at the next level.
"We're only a small club and had to make a lot of free transfers last year so it's amazing what we've achieved this season."
Cheltenham's match-winner Steve Guinan said: "It's a fantastic feeling and a dream come true to be able to score in a final like this.
"It was tough to then miss the penalty but I'm just delighted we won."
Midfielder Grant McCann added: "It's unbelievable for a team like us to achieve what we have.
"To be fair, I always thought from the early days of the season that we could have a good run and we've done it. It's a great achievement."
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Interview: Cheltenham boss John Ward