Cheltenham Town Reserves scored a morale-boosting victory at the training ground this afternoon against a team from the Nike Academy, a new venture set up to provide a route back into professional football for young players released from Premier League and Football League clubs.
Cheltenham gave a trial to Frenchman Cedric Ngakam, 23, who played in the centre of defence alongside Jack Durrant with fit-again Lee Ridley at left-back. Ngakam began his career as a trainee with Paris St Germain, although his most recent club was Grays Athletic in the Blue Square Premier.
Cheltenham took the lead as early as the seventh minute when a cross from Marley Watkins found its way to Josh Emery in the box. His initial shot was blocked but David Hutton followed up to score from close in.
Tom Denton placed a header just wide from a Kyle Haynes cross shortly afterwards but another chance, also from a Haynes cross, was finished off by Jake Lee with a well-executed header on 21 minutes.
Denton sliced wide from another Haynes cross but he made amends on 26 minutes, clipping the ball over the out-rushing goalkeeper after Watkins had found him with a through pass.
Cheltenham conceded a penalty seven minutes before the break when Durrant fouled Dubi Ogbonna in the box. Ogbonna took the kick himself but struck it against the outside of goalkeeper Joe Perry's right-hand post.
Denton made him pay for that miss a minute later when he scored a fine goal, converting another Watkins cross with a half-volley on the turn from 15 yards.
Eleven minutes into the second half Hutton added his second from the penalty spot after Watkins had been brought down by Jonjo Jordan, although the Academy XI pulled one back two minutes later when Sol Asajile headed in from a Sam Lechmere cross.
However, Cheltenham restored their five goal advantage on 77 minutes when Lee headed in from a Josh Egan cross.
Denton, Lee and Egan all had chances foiled by goalkeeper Mason McKyle in the closing stages as Cheltenham finished the game well on top.
Hutton completed his hat-trick in the final moments when he ran onto a through ball from Lee and clipped a shot over the goalkeeper. Lee then finished off his treble when he arrived at the far post to smash in from a Haynes cross.
CHELTENHAM TOWN RESERVES (4-4-2): Perry (Barnfather 59); Haynes, Durrant, Ngakam, Ridley (Fawke 59); Watkins (Egan 59), Tosh (Hamilton 68), Emery (Keen 79), Hutton; Lee, Denton
NIKE ACADEMY XI (4-4-2): McKyle; Ajooda (Ogbonna 27), Jordan, Taylor, Bagarone; Lechmere, Brennan, Forbes (Matos 46), Asajile; Fraser-Allen, Knight
REFEREE: M.Halford
