Full-time: Robins 0, York City 1
Cheltenham Town's patchy form continued at Whaddon Road after this narrow defeat by York City.In the last four outings the Robins have followed up impressive wins, both home and away, with disappointing defeats.
This game was surrendered in the first half after an insipid showing that fell a long way short of the standards set out by Mark Yates and his management team.
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The manager was arguably the happier of the two managers at the break with his side trailing by a single Diego De Girolamo goal.
The Robins would not have had any complaints had they trailed by six at that point.
Eusebio, whose loan spell is up in the week, was pressed into action at half-time and made all the difference, helping to create a host of chances to get back on terms.
Unfortunately from a Cheltenham perspective, none could be converted into a coveted equaliser.
There were two changes to the side that were well beaten in Devon last weekend with Yates reverting to the team that were successful at Cambridge United 10 days ago.
Back came John Marquis, after suspension, and Joe Hanks at the expense of Byron Harrison and Omari Sterling-James who dropped to the bench.
Four ex-Robins featured for the Minstermen and they were warmly welcomed by the Whaddon Road faithful, although the current crop of Cheltenham players were less hospitable in the opening exchanges.
Joe Hanks greeted former favourite Russ Penn with a crunching tackle nine minutes in, for which he was cautioned. The young midfielder was walking a tightrope from that point onwards and was sensibly replaced by Raffaele De Vita six minutes before the interval.
Then ten minutes later Keith Lowe was on the receiving end of poor challenge by Marquis and received treatment as the Millwall loanee was booked.
Lewis Montrose, who enjoyed two loan spells in the 2008-09 season, created a great chance for Deon Burton to claim a debut goal but the former Jamaican international, who joined the club on loan during the week, fired narrowly over.
That was the first of seven decent chances between Burton, De Girolamo and Michael Coulson inside the first half-hour with the visitors dominant throughout the first half.
Then York went closer still, striking the woodwork when De Girolamo’s curler cannoned back off the let upright. It hit Trevor Carson in the face before Jason Taylor cleared to safety.
There was half a chance for Gornell, deflected over, before Yates made the move to replace Hanks and change his tactics with half-time approaching.
Troy Brown was initially pushed into a four-man midfield but no sooner had the manager switched to 4-4-2, his side fell behind in the contest.
The goal had been coming, and it was De Girolamo that got it two minutes before the break when the Sheffield United loanee raced onto a threaded ball by Coulson before finishing under Carson.
Eusebio was pressed into action at the start of the second half (for Jack Deaman) so Brown dropped back into central defence and the Portuguese took up position on the left of midfield.
He made all the difference and immediately carved out a chance, running at the York back line before stabbing a shot well wide.
Cheltenham began to get a foothold and Eusebio was central to it all, going close with a free-kick from a tight angle.
His cross from the left almost opened up a good chance for Taylor but Aleksander Cisak, the York number one, blocked well.
Next the winger measured a ball into the path of Gornell, who miscued his effort before Byron Harrison, on for Marquis, pulled one wide from a tight angle.
De Vita then had a couple of chances of his own, going close on both occasions from outside the box.
York should have sealed the game with 18 minutes to play when Jake Hyde met Marvin McCoy’s cross from the right but the substitute didn’t get enough on his effort to trouble Carson.
At the other, Gornell directed De Vita’s ball wide of the target and Harrison drew a smart save from Cisak with a shot on the turn.
Then three minutes from time, Harrison was presented with a fine chance to salvage a point when he met a knock-down by Richards, but the striker’s volley was straight at Cisak.
CHELTENHAM TOWN (3-5-2): Carson (c); Brown, Deaman (Eusebio 46), Elliott; Vaughan, Taylor, Hanks (De Vita 39), Richards, Braham-Barrett; Marquis (Harrison 59), Gornell. Subs not used: Haworth, Gould (Gk), Black, Sterling-James.
YORK CITY (4-4-2): McCoy, Lowe, McCombe, Ilesanmi; Meikle, Penn (c) (Summerfield 76), Montrose, Coulson, De Girolamo (Hyde 66), Burton (Brunt 88). Subs not used: Ingham (Gk), Parlsow, Straker, Platt.
REFEREE: G Ward
ATTENDANCE: 2,469 (267 from York)
The Robins would not have had any complaints had they trailed by six at that point.
Eusebio, whose loan spell is up in the week, was pressed into action at half-time and made all the difference, helping to create a host of chances to get back on terms.
Unfortunately from a Cheltenham perspective, none could be converted into a coveted equaliser.
There were two changes to the side that were well beaten in Devon last weekend with Yates reverting to the team that were successful at Cambridge United 10 days ago.
Back came John Marquis, after suspension, and Joe Hanks at the expense of Byron Harrison and Omari Sterling-James who dropped to the bench.
Four ex-Robins featured for the Minstermen and they were warmly welcomed by the Whaddon Road faithful, although the current crop of Cheltenham players were less hospitable in the opening exchanges.
Joe Hanks greeted former favourite Russ Penn with a crunching tackle nine minutes in, for which he was cautioned. The young midfielder was walking a tightrope from that point onwards and was sensibly replaced by Raffaele De Vita six minutes before the interval.
Then ten minutes later Keith Lowe was on the receiving end of poor challenge by Marquis and received treatment as the Millwall loanee was booked.
Lewis Montrose, who enjoyed two loan spells in the 2008-09 season, created a great chance for Deon Burton to claim a debut goal but the former Jamaican international, who joined the club on loan during the week, fired narrowly over.
That was the first of seven decent chances between Burton, De Girolamo and Michael Coulson inside the first half-hour with the visitors dominant throughout the first half.
Then York went closer still, striking the woodwork when De Girolamo’s curler cannoned back off the let upright. It hit Trevor Carson in the face before Jason Taylor cleared to safety.
There was half a chance for Gornell, deflected over, before Yates made the move to replace Hanks and change his tactics with half-time approaching.
Troy Brown was initially pushed into a four-man midfield but no sooner had the manager switched to 4-4-2, his side fell behind in the contest.
The goal had been coming, and it was De Girolamo that got it two minutes before the break when the Sheffield United loanee raced onto a threaded ball by Coulson before finishing under Carson.
Eusebio was pressed into action at the start of the second half (for Jack Deaman) so Brown dropped back into central defence and the Portuguese took up position on the left of midfield.
He made all the difference and immediately carved out a chance, running at the York back line before stabbing a shot well wide.
Cheltenham began to get a foothold and Eusebio was central to it all, going close with a free-kick from a tight angle.
His cross from the left almost opened up a good chance for Taylor but Aleksander Cisak, the York number one, blocked well.
Next the winger measured a ball into the path of Gornell, who miscued his effort before Byron Harrison, on for Marquis, pulled one wide from a tight angle.
De Vita then had a couple of chances of his own, going close on both occasions from outside the box.
York should have sealed the game with 18 minutes to play when Jake Hyde met Marvin McCoy’s cross from the right but the substitute didn’t get enough on his effort to trouble Carson.
At the other, Gornell directed De Vita’s ball wide of the target and Harrison drew a smart save from Cisak with a shot on the turn.
Then three minutes from time, Harrison was presented with a fine chance to salvage a point when he met a knock-down by Richards, but the striker’s volley was straight at Cisak.
CHELTENHAM TOWN (3-5-2): Carson (c); Brown, Deaman (Eusebio 46), Elliott; Vaughan, Taylor, Hanks (De Vita 39), Richards, Braham-Barrett; Marquis (Harrison 59), Gornell. Subs not used: Haworth, Gould (Gk), Black, Sterling-James.
YORK CITY (4-4-2): McCoy, Lowe, McCombe, Ilesanmi; Meikle, Penn (c) (Summerfield 76), Montrose, Coulson, De Girolamo (Hyde 66), Burton (Brunt 88). Subs not used: Ingham (Gk), Parlsow, Straker, Platt.
REFEREE: G Ward
ATTENDANCE: 2,469 (267 from York)