Match Report | Cheltenham Town

Cheltenham Town slipped to defeat despite Paul Connor's late goal at Whaddon Road this afternoon.
Two Walsall goals in two first half minutes put paid to a bright display by the home side, who had it all to do after the break.
But Connor pulled one back 16 minutes from time, his side throwing the kitchen sink at their opponents in a tense finale but the visitors defended manfully to protect their lead.
Walsall kept their faint play-off hopes alive with this win on their first league visit to Whaddon Road, while the Robins' were comforted by the news that relegation rivals Gillingham were defeated by league leaders Swansea City.
So Keith Downing's side now have a four-point cushion to defend with three games remaining of the season.
Cheltenham were down the bare bones in terms of playing personnel with injuries continuing to hinder boss Downing's plans. Alan Wright failed to win his battle to be fit for the contest so Jerry Gill deputised at left back as he did against Leyton Orient three games ago. Andy Gallinagh came in on the right-hand side of defence while Michael D'Agsostino and Ben Gill stepped up to the bench.
The home side made a purposeful start, Steven Gillespie and Connor imposing themselves on the Walsall back four from the whistle although this did not result in a clear chance to examine Saddlers' goalkeeper Clayton Ince.
It was Shane Higgs who made the first save off the game, pushing away Richard Taundry's clever 20-yard free-kick at his near post after Andy Gallinagh had impeded Lee Holmes.
Andy Lindegaard almost caught Ince off-guard a moment later when he rifled a quickly taken free-kick a foot over the crossbar.
But the game though burst into life mid-way through the first period when Walsall raced into a two-goal advantage.
First the evergreen Tommy Mooney ended his personal 12-game goal drought in emphatic style from the penalty spot.
Lee Holmes burst into the penalty area after being played in by Rhys Weston down the inside right channel and Higgs raced off his line to claim the ball but the Cheltenham number one upended the Walsall wideman and the referee pointed to the spot.
The veteran striker made no mistake from 12 yards, smashing the ball to Higgs' left to hand his side the lead.
Then two minutes later, Holmes took advantage of Gallinagh's mistake to force Higgs into conceding a corner with a fine save from a tight angle.
Holmes swung it in from the right and Anthony Gerrard, cousin of Liverpool's Steven, met it with a firm header at the near post to double the advantage.
The goals spurred the home side into action and they created a couple of decent chances to claw a goal back before the break.
Gillespie was whisker away from steering Scott Brown's corner from the left inside the back post, while Connor wasted a great chance to head home from close-range after Gillespie had flick-headed Brown's freekick from the right.
Walsall needed to re-shuffle their pack five minutes shy of the break after Ian Roper came off worse following a 50/50 challenge with Gillespie. The centre half was carried from the field on a stretcher and replaced by Mark Bradley.
Kevin Betsy and Mooney, former Wycombe Wanderers team mates, combined 10 minutes after the restart to create an opening for Mooney but the front man blasted over from 20 yards.
Keith Downing made his first susbtitution on the hour, replacing Gallinagh with Adam Connolly who became the fifth member of the midfield while Jerry Gill moved inside to operate as a sweeper between Duff and Keogh.
Next Lindegaard nodded Bird's flick header from Craig Armstrong's searching throw on target, however Ince gathered comfortably while Connolly fired one over from distance.
Downing had completed his alloted changes by the 72nd minute, introducing Craig Reid (for Brown) and Michael D'Agostino (Brown) for the remaining 20 minutes and the manager was rewarded with a goal two minutes later.
The move began with Keogh deep inside his own half, who sold Edrissa Sonko a dummy and sent a long ball into the path of Gillespie down the left. The Liverpudlian had it all to do, but he beat his marker to the byline and squared it to Connor, who did the rest from close-range to register his 4th of the campaign.
The dynamic of the game turned on the goal, with Cheltenham finishing strongly but they had to survive a scare when Betsy released a firm shot from a tight angle. Higgs though was equal to the task.
Cheltenham had committed men forward in the finale and went so close to getting back on terms three minutes from time.
Connolly did well down the left and picked out D'Agostino umarked at the far post, and the Canadian caught his volley sweetly but it dropped the wrong side of the left upright.
It was so tense as the board went up indicating five minutes of added-on time, and the leveller almost arrived when Gillespie released D'Agostino down the right but there were four Cheltenham players in front of the cross when it was rolled across the box.
CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-4-2): Higgs; Gallinagh (Connolly 61), Duff, Keogh, J Gill (c); Lindegaard, Bird, Armstrong (D'Agostino 72), S Brown (Reid 72); Gillespie, Connor. Subs not used: SP Brown (Gk), B Gill, Reid.
WALSALL (4-4-2): Ince; Weston, Roper (Bradley 41), Gerrard, Taundry; Sonko, Dobson, N'Dour, Holmes (Demontagnac 73); Betsy, Mooney. Subs not used: Bossu (Gk), Nicholls, Deeney.
REFEREE: RJ Beeby (Northamptonshire)
ATTENDANCE: 4,861 (956 from Walsall)