Cheltenham Town progressed into tomorrow night's draw for the second round of the LDV Vans Trophy after coming from behind to beat Plymouth Argyle 2-1.
The win made it five victories in seven games for the Robins, and ended a 10 game unbeaten sequence for the men from Devon. Both sides fielded strong line-ups for the game with Cheltenham making only one enforced change from the side that drew 0-0 at Kidderminster on Saturday, Hugh McAuley replacing the injured Mark Yates in midfield.
Plymouth made two changes with Jon Beswetherick replacing Brian McGlinchey and Steve Adams coming into the starting line-up for Martin Phillips.
Plymouth had the better of the first half and carved Cheltenham open on several occasions with some neat passing from midfield.
Canadian winger Jason Bent was at the heart of most things they created and his neat link play with front men Ian Stonebridge and Nicky Banger, aided by the careful prompting of Frenchman David Friio, gave Cheltenham as many problems as any team they have faced this season.
Cheltenham had the game's first chance when Plymouth goalkeeper Romain Larrieu stretched above his head to grasp a 25-yarder from Neil Howarth, but the Robins were soon struggling to contend with a neat pass from Bent and a chip from Banger that only just cleared the crossbar.
It was little surprise when Plymouth took the lead after 16 minutes with another well constructed move. Friio supplied Bent on the right and he slipped the ball into the path of right-back David Worrell. Friio continued his run into the box and arrived with perfect timing to head Worrell's cross in off the underside of the crossbar from eight yards.
Banger shot just wide from another dangerous Bent cross and Stonebridge just failed to reach another centre at the far post, although Cheltenham did go close themselves when a clever back-heel from Tony Naylor sent Howarth away but his shot was deflected wide.
If Plymouth had dominated the first period then the second was a completely different story.
Danger-man Bent found himself marked tightly while the Robins used every opportunity to get the ball forward to front men Julian Alsop and Tony Naylor.
They drew level seven minutes after the re-start after Plymouth goalkeeper Romain Larrieu had pushed an Alsop header from a Russell Milton corner over the bar.
Milton trotted across to take the corner from the other side and this time his flag-kick was met by a firm header from Jamie Victory.
Banger nodded the ball off the line but the assistant referee signalled that the whole of the ball had already passed into the goal.
Cheltenham goalkeeper Steve Book stretched to claw away a diving header from Banger on the hour mark, but the Robins grabbed the lead three minutes later with a goal that Alsop deserved for his industry.
Howarth sent over a cross from a deep position wide on the right and Alsop met the ball fractionally ahead of Larrieu as he rushed out, scoring with a firm header from 12 yards.
Larrieu then dived to make an impressive save from a Naylor low drive and Cheltenham held on despite a late rally from the visitors.
Larrieu went up for an injury time corner and when the ball fell to Lee Williams he tried an audacious shot from his own half with the goal unguarded but the ball fell short.
CHELTENHAM TOWN: Book; Howarth, M. Duff, Banks, Victory; Williams, McAuley, Howells, Milton; Alsop, Naylor. Subs: Brough, Griffin, Devaney, Jackson, Muggleton.
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE: Larrieu; Worrell, Coughlan, Wotton, Beswetherick; Bent, Adams (Wills 81), Friio, Hodges; Stonebridge (Evans 71), Banger (McGlinchey 71). Subs: Wills, McCormick, Malonga.
REFEREE: P. Rejer (West Midlands)
ATTENDANCE: 1,310