Cheltenham Town Reserves defeated a strong Nottingham Forest reserve team 3-1 at the Forest Academy ground this afternoon with goals from Elvis Hammond (2) and trialist Claus Jorgensen.
It was a notable result against a Forest side that included several players with first team experience. Goalkeeper Paul Smith; defenders Luke Chambers, James Perch and Joel Lynch; midfielders Arron Davies, Matt Thornhill and Lewis McGugan; and striker Joe Garner have all played in the Coca-Cola League for the East Midlanders.
Even better was the news that defenders Michael Townsend and Lee Ridley, who have both been sidelined with calf injuries, got through their allotted time on the pitch with no problems. Neither player was given a full 90 minutes but both will now have the all clear to step up their training ahead of the Christmas games.
The Cheltenham team included trialist Claus Jorgensen in midfield and he scored the first goal early in the second half following good work from Hammond that gave the former Faroe Islands international a chance to shoot from the edge of the box. Jorgensen, formerly of Coventry City and Blackpool, has been training with the Robins for the past two weeks.
Other new faces were Middlesbrough left-back Ashley Corker, who is currently training with the club but is not eligible for the first team, and goalkeeper Billy Lumley from the Glenn Hoddle Academy in Spain. Lumley was given a game because youth team goalkeeper Joe Perry is spending a week training with Ipswich Town.
The first half was goalless, although Forest goalkeeper Smith had to make two saves from Marley Watkins and one from Ridley. Watkins went off shortly afterwards with a leg injury that is not thought to be too serious and Ridley was replaced by Ryan Keen at half-time.
Jorgensen opened the scoring shortly after the re-start then Hammond capitalised on a defensive mistake to score his first. Hammond struck again when he received a ball from the left-hand side and turned sharply in the box before shooting low into the far corner of the net and Forest claimed their goal five minutes from the end.
"It was a good all round performance," said coach John Brough.
"We did a bit of work on the game yesterday in training and we produced some good football, particularly on the counter-attack.
"Michael Townsend and Lee Ridley both went off at the planned times and they came through ok so it was a good afternoon all round."
CHELTENHAM TOWN RESERVES (4-4-2): Lumley; Durrant, Townsend (Sauntson 70), Ridley (Keen 46), Corker; Haynes, Pook, Jorgensen, Watkins (Lee 35); Hutton, Hammond
