An inspired second half performance by Cheltenham Town keeper Scott Brown, brought Shots back down to earth with a bump after Tuesday evening's excellent away win at Torquay!
Shots looked lively as the match kicked off and Marvin Morgan made two good runs down the right flank, cutting in both times, only for the ball to squirm away from him at the vital moment on both occasions.
However, Shots early initiative soon petered out and the visitors came more into the match. With 12 minutes gone, Anthony Charles brought down Josh Low and from the resulting free kick, the ball was played short to 19 year old full back Danny Andrew. He pushed the ball to the left and then unleashed a fierce, thumping drive which gave Shots keeper Jamie Young no chance! 1-0 Cheltenham!
Shots failed to show any real signs of response and with less than half an hour played, Shots manager Kevin Dillon made a tactical substitution, bringing on Marlon Jackson for Danny Hylton. Jackson was quickly into the game and was twice felled whilst marauding down the right wing, but the free kicks came to nothing and Shots flattered to deceive until stoppage time, when Small steered Strakers low cross from the left goalwards and beat the keeper, only for the ball to be blocked on the line by a visiting defender!
Dillon's words to his lacklustre Shots team at half time, were according to Kevin himself, "unrepeatable" - and the most he says, that he has had to lay in to them this season. He did get a response in the second half. Straker began making in-roads down the left flank and Morgan and Jackson both went close.
On the hour visiting striker Goulding found himself clean through but squirmed his shot wide. However, the home side failed to take heed of this warning shot and a minute later, the visitors found themselves with a man over again. Josh Low's....low cross evaded Shots last defender, but not the on-rushing Goulding, who stroked home to put The Robins 2-0 up.
From then on it was all about Scott Brown, as efforts from Jackson (3) Morgan (2) Gutteridge (1) and Damien Spencer (2) -one an excellent overhead kick - were either saved, blocked or narrowly missed the target! Shots players and management appealed in vain for a penalty when Jackson appeared to be bundled over in the area, but the referee, who had allowed play to continue on several other occasions throughout the match, chose to do so again!
In his post match interview, Dillon expressed his disappointment that no penalty was given and took responsibility for perhaps making too many changes in his attempts to freshen up what he felt was a tired looking team after two long away games in a week. He was pleased with the way his team finished the match, but not the result and how they started. He also felt that despite the first half performance, his team created more than enough chances after the break to get something out of this match.
So, Shots drop to 15th and will have to build momentum again, starting at Bristol Rovers on Tuesday evening in the Johnstones Paint Trophy.