BISHOP'S CLEEVE 2
CHELTENHAM TOWN 2
Cheltenham Town gave at least half a game to 22 of their players in the opening pre-season friendly at Bishop's Cleeve.
It was a laid-back match on a warm evening at Kayte Lane but the Cheltenham players finished their first week of pre-season training with some game time and everyone appeared to get through their allotted half with no mishaps or injuries.
Robins manager Martin Allen played a different team in each half with every member of his squad given 45 minutes of action. The only absentee was calf injury victim John Finnigan. His place in the centre of midfield was taken by trialist Ben Smith in the first half with second year Scholars Ryan Keen, Josh Quaynor, Josh Emery and Jake Lee also named in the starting team.
Cheltenham took an early lead when Marley Watkins played a good ball through for Elvis Hammond and the striker's legs were clipped by Cleeve goalkeeper Tom King. Hammond got up to put away the penalty with confidence.
Bishop's Cleeve have been back in training a little longer than the Cheltenham players and they certainly played with plenty of energy against a Robins team that had spent the day fitness testing at the University of Gloucestershire.
Ben Gascoyne, John Routledge and Kevin Slack all placed shots wide before the equaliser arrived on 34 minutes.
A long throw from Gascoyne was flicked on by former Cheltenham player Julian Alsop and although Adam Mayo's initial header was cleared off the line by Shane Duff, Slack followed up to nod the ball in from close range.
Slack scored his second six minutes before the break when Cheltenham lost possession on the half-way line, Sam Avery played a pass through the defence and Slack rolled an angled shot past Will Puddy.
Cheltenham's second half team included new signings Justin Richards and David Hutton plus young midfielder or defender Jack Durrant, who was playing his first game as a professional.
Cheltenham generally had the best of the second half. Theo Lewis reached a long ball slightly ahead of goalkeeper Martin Pearce but his header dropped just wide; then Jack Durrant sent a header straight at the goalkeeper before the equaliser finally arrived with 20 minutes left.
Josh Low provided a hint of his undoubted ability by collecting a pass 30 yards from goal, taking the ball on past two defenders into space before smashing a shot across the goalkeeper and just inside his far post.
Both sides had chances in the closing minutes with Hutton heading wide for Cheltenham and Gascoyne breaking through for Cleeve only to be denied by a fine tackle from Kyle Haynes.
BISHOP'S CLEEVE (4-3-3): King (Pearce 46); S.Avery (Paddock 46), Routledge, Hopkins (S.Avery 78), Cant (D.Avery 46); Mayo (Meadows 46), Williams (McGuire 55), Mansell; Gascoyne, Alsop (Vercesi 46), Slack (Sheehan 76)
CHELTENHAM TOWN first half (4-4-2): Puddy; Diallo, Keen, Duff, Quaynor; Watkins, Smith, Bird, Emery; Lee, Hammond
CHELTENHAM TOWN second half (4-4-2): Brown; Haynes, Townsend, Durrant, Ridley; Low, Gallinagh, Tosh, Hutton; Lewis, Richards.
REFEREE: D. Eaton