Heckingbottom calls for Reds to be more ruthless

But the manager wants his players to be more ruthless with the start of the new Championship fast approaching.

Comfortable wins over Stalybridge Celtic, Guiseley AFC and Weston-Super-Mare was followed by a 3-1 victory at Cheltenham Town on Tuesday, the Reds’ first major test ahead of the new season.

It was the first time the Reds have conceded in four matches having hit 13 goals past their opposition.

But ever striving for improvements, Heckingbottom was at pains to stress the need for more quality and killer instinct.

“We were up and down, I thought there were some real good bits that showed what we’re all about, and some real sloppy bits towards the end,” reflected Heckingbottom.

“We’ll take away messages of what we did well, we played with real good energy and created good opportunities but we weren’t ruthless enough. So there’s a positive and a negative there.

“We got in great positions what we’ve been working on, but we didn’t kill the game off.

“We could have had and should have had more shots which would have resulted in more goals.

“Then the flip side of that there was some good energy to win the ball back, and win the ball back quickly, which we’ve done in the four games well.”

Two goals from star striker Sam Winnall, his first of pre-season, and second half substitute Shaun Tuton did the damage for the Reds as they eased to victory over the Robins a Whaddon Road.

New signing Elliott Lee was the only player to miss out as he was left out as a precaution as he continues to recover from a calf strain.

But the Reds’ other five new signings were in the matchday squad as Heckingbottom continues to tinker with his team in a bid to find his starting XI for the club’s opening Championship fixture away to Ipswich Town at Portman Road on Saturday, August 6.

“The new players coming in and not understanding what we’re about, it’s up to them to get up to speed.

“No disrespect to the opposition and their game, but we should have won that 5-0, not 3-1.”