REPORT: Grimsby 0-1 Cheltenham
Cheltenham Town extended their unbeaten streak to six games by beating Grimsby 1-0 at Cleethorpes.
Billy Waters gave The Robins the lead early on after finishing off a clever free kick routine as both sides created chances in the first half.
Grimsby controlled the second 45 minutes and went close a number of times, but Gary Johnson's team held on to claim a priceless three points.
The result moves Cheltenham up to 16th, just four points off the play off places.
Just two minutes into the game Grimsby created the first chance as Omar Bogle was given the ball and beat Aaron Downes, but his shot was saved by the feet of Russell Griffiths.
On the nine minute mark, though, Cheltenham took the lead through a very cleverly worked free kick routine. Kyle Storer’s short pass was flicked on by James Dayton into the path of Waters, who slotted the ball into the bottom corner.
The away side had deserved that goal in a fast-paced start to the game that carried on throughout the first half, as both sides created chances to score.
After half an hour Cheltenham had their best chance to double the lead when Dayton broke through the middle of the pitch and exchanged passes with Harry Pell, but his shot was fired into the side netting.
Grimsby were having a lot of the ball but The Robins were doing more with it through quick counter attacks, and even though Pell came close with a powerful effort from the edge of the box on 38 minutes it remained 1-0 to the away side at half time.
After the interval the home side came out fighting, and had it not been for a fantastic clearance by Waters from Bogle’s cross they would surely have been level.
Cheltenham were having to deal with a bombardment of skill and pace from Grimsby’s front three as we approached the last half an hour, as well as corner after corner, but still they wouldn’t be broken.
On 70 minutes Tom Bolarinwa put a dangerous cross into the box that was cleared straight to Danny Andrew, but his shot was superbly blocked by Downes.
The Robins were hanging on at this point, as four minutes later it took another brilliant save from Griffiths to keep out Bogle’s shot and maintain the away side’s slender advantage.
Soon after Grimsby’s front man went close again when he played a clever one-two in the box, but this time his shot was tame and easily gathered by the Cheltenham goalkeeper.
Despite heavy pressure at the end, and an attempt at acrobatically equalising by Grimsby goalkeeper James McKeown, Cheltenham saw the game out.
Grimsby Town: J McKeown, J Gowling, D Collins, D Andrew, Z Mills, C Disley, J Berrett (T Bolarinwa, 45), L Summerfield (B Comley, 76), K Jackson, D Vose (S Tuton, 76), O Bogle.
Subs: S Pearson, R Browne, S Vernon, D Henderson.
Cheltenham Town: R Griffiths, A Downes (C), D Parslow, R Dickie, J Barthram, J Cranston, K Storer, J Munns, J Dayton, H Pell (A Morgan-Smith, 73), B Waters.
Subs: C Kitscha, J Lymn, D O’Shaughnessy, E Suliman, D Whitehead.
Attendance: 4809 (113)