Cheltenham Town were dumped out of the Gloucestershire Senior Challenge Cup at the quarter final stage by their arch-rivals from the other side of the Golden Valley tonight (October 20).
A sizeable crowd gathered for Gloucester City's first visit to the Abbey Business Stadium in 12 years, the first since Easter Monday in 1997 when Darren Wright's header earned Steve Cotterill's side a draw and they witnessed a dominant performance by the Blue Square North side.
John Brough's team had a youthful feel to it, with goalkeeper Barry Richardson twice the age of any of his outfield players. There were opportunities for Romone Rose at right back and Ajet Shehu at centre half while Marley Watkins and David Hutton patrolled the flanks. Tom Denton and Theo Lewis started the match up front.
Meanwhile the Gloucester side displayed three former Cheltenham youth products in Marc Richards, Matt Rose and Alex Sykes.
The Tigers made a perfect start when Lee Smith raced onto Ben Lewis' long ball over the top to smash a right footer past Barry Richardson from the edge of the box in only the third minute.
Watkins made a lively start to the match and provided the home side's first opening of the night only three minutes after the breakthrough, lifting one over goalkeeper Ben Lewis but it dropped wide of the right post.
Mike Symons though added his side's second with 20 minutes on the clock, smashing an 18 yarder into the top left-hand corner after some good play by Alex Sykes down the left to create the chance.
Josh Quaynor, who has scored a free-kick in each of his last four outings for the reserves and youth team, saw his curled effort from 20 yards graze the angle of the midway through the first half.
Then Watkins was presented with a golden chance to pull one back ten minutes before the break after Rose had played him in down the right, but Lewis was out fast to deny the winger with a smart save before Matt Sysum cleared his line.
Gloucester made it three with five minutes remaining of the first half, Symons skipping around Shehu before picking his spot past Richardson from close-range.
Number four arrived 14 minutes after the restart when substitute Will Morford delivered a perfect cross from the Gloucester right to pick out Smith unmarked at the far post. The winger crashed a volley against the underside of the crossbar and Sykes did the rest from close-range.
Symons went close five minutes later, meeting Eddie Jones' cross with a glancing header which dropped the wrong side of the left post.
Cheltenham did create a handful of chances of their own as the game drew to a close. First Denton was denied by a superb block by Lewis after Hutton had centred low from the left to fashion an opening for the tall striker. Then Kyle Haynes fired well over from 25 yards while Hutton struck the woodwork with a delicate lob from 20 yards.
But Gloucester resolutely defended their lead to shut out Cheltenham to take their spot in the last four.
CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-4-2): Richardson; Rose (Sauntson 46), Shehu (Tosh 78), Durrant (c), Quaynor; Watkins, Emery, Haynes, Hutton; Denton, Lewis (Waters 62). Subs not used: Barnfather (Gk), Egan.
GLOUCESTER CITY (4-4-2): Lewis; Robinson, Sysum, Richards (c), Baldwin (Morford 46); Sykes (Marshall 70), Palmer, Rose (Mustoe 46), Smith; Jones, Symons. Subs not used: Webb, Harris.
REFEREE: A Matthews
ATTENDANCE: 535
Murry Toms at the Abbey Business Stadium
