Cheltenham Town failed in their decade-long quest to reach the third round of the Carling Cup after defeat to Stoke City tonight.
Keith Downing had demanded a response from his team following the disappointing display against Oldham on Saturday, and he got it against the Premier League new boys - only the second side from the top tier to appear at Whaddon Road in a competitive contest (after Newcastle United).
His team showed the battling qualities that were missing at Boundary Park and he can be proud of their improved performance here.
All the goals in this one came in the second period. The Potters dominated proceedings in the first half, but the home side defended manfully and for all of their possession, were restricted to half chances.
The game then burst into life in six second half minutes, Stoke, who were never really comfortable throughout the evening, seemingly creating enough daylight to book their place in the next round with a two-goal advantage, but Ashley Vincent pulled one back to set up a tense finish.
But striker Jon Parkin added Stoke's third with 12 minutes remaining while Alex Russell recorded a consolation effort deep into injury time.
TEAM NEWS: Cheltenham Town boss Keith Downing makes four changes to the side that lost at Oldham at the weekend. He restores former Stoke man Paul Connor to his side's attack in loanee Barry Hayles' absence, who was refused permission to play in this game by his parent club Leicester City.
Craig Armstrong had recovered from his injury to be added to the teamsheet alongside Ben Gill, who missed the trip to Oldham through suspension, while Andy Lindegaard came in on the left of midfield. Dean Sinclair (ankle) and Jennison Myrie-Williams (dead leg) miss out. Andy Gallinagh dropped to the bench.
Gavin Caines returns from his lengthy injury lay-off to take his place on a young-looking bench with Marley Watkins, Aaron Ledgister and Josh Emery.
Meanwhile, Stoke boss Tony Pulis makes ten changes to the side that defeated Aston Villa 3-2 three days ago, perhaps with half an eye on the Premier League encounter with Middlesbrough at the weekend. Full back Carl Dickinson is the sole survivor from that encounter.
The sides match each other in 4-4-2 formations.
7th minute: Former Manchester United man Ryan Shawcross should have opened the scoring having out-muscled Alan Wright inside the Cheltenham penalty area before poking a shot straight at Higgs.
10: Stoke side create another chance, this time Andy Wilkinson finds Glenn Whelan on the edge of the box but the midfielder's header drops the wrong side of the left upright.
17: Vincent Pericard darts into the penalty area and tees up Cresswell, but the winger blasts it over from a tight angle.
20: Stoke striker Jon Parkin drags one wide from distance.
29: Whelan, a £500,000 aquisition from Sheffield Wednesday, thumps one from 25 yards, but it is always rising.
33: Ex-Juventus and Portsmouth striker Pericard has the ball in the back of the net but he fails to time his run and is flagged offside. At the other end, Ashley Vincent falls under a challenge by Wilkinson but the referee is not impressed by the striker's appeal for a penalty.
40: Pericard plays in Parkin inside the Cheltenham penalty area but the striker pushes his shot across goal and wide from 12 yards.
45: Cheltenham's first real sight of goal seconds before the whistle. Alan Wright sent over a ball from the left and Simonsen fumbled, but Ben Gill, arriving at the far post, hesitates and the chance has gone.
HALF TIME: Cheltenham 0, Stoke City 0
46: Cheltenham start the second period purposefully and call Simonsen into his first save of the evening 50 seconds after the re-start. Armstrong wins back possession and slips a ball out to Vincent on the right, who draws a diving stop from an acute angle towards the touchline. The corner eventually finds it way out to Jerry Gill, but he's nowhere near registering his first goal for the club. The move lifts the crowd.
51 GOAL: Cheltenham enjoy their best spell of the game but against the run of play, Stoke break and Duff is harshly adjudged to foul Pericard to hand the Premier League side a free-kick 20 yards from goal. Whelan steps up and places a brilliant strike into the top right corner, leaving Higgs no chance.
54 GOAL: The home side are stung again on the counter attack. Vincent bursts through on goal and has three Stoke defenders for company when he is eventually dispossessed, fairly according to the referee. Stoke pump it forward and Parkin, with only Jerry Gill for company, wriggles free and gives himself all the time in the world to pick his spot and double the advantage.
55: Vincent tries his luck from distance, but Simonsen is equal to it.
57 GOAL: Just when it seems the game is over, Cheltenham pull one back. Stoke appear to take a foot off the pedal and a sloppy piece of play by Lewis Buxton releases Vincent on goal. One-on-one with Simonsen, the striker thumps the ball to the goalkeeper's right and finds the net via the inside of the left upright. Game on.
59: Higgs gathers Whelan's 25-yard free-kick at the second attempt.
62: Shane Duff is replaced by Andy Gallinagh and heads straight down the tunnel accompanied by club chiropractor Richard Brown.
76: Substitute Dominic Matteo's first action of the game is to haul down Andy Lindegaard on the edge of the penalty area, but Alex Russell is off target, pulling the free-kick wide.
78 GOAL: Stoke claim their third goal of the night and effectively end the game as a contest. Danny Pugh delivers a ball from the left and Parkin makes no mistake from 16 yards, blasting a shot inside the right post.
78: Gavin Caines makes his return to competitive football when he relieves Ben Gill for the final 12 minutes and is pressed into attack. Keith Downing opts for a 3-4-3 shape for the remainder of the game.
90+5 GOAL: Alex Russell records his side's second goal of the evening, but it's too late to alter the outcome. Ledgister tucks it inside from the left and the midifelder does the rest.
CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-4-2): Higgs; J Gill (c), Townsend, Duff (Gallinagh 62), Wright; B Gill (Caines 78), Armstrong, Russell, Lindegaard; Connor, Vincent (Ledgister 88). Subs not used: Brown (Gk), Ridley, Watkins, Emery.
STOKE CITY (4-4-2): Simonsen; Wilkinson (Shotton 90), Buxton, Shawcross, Dickinson (D Phillips 79); Cresswell, Diao (c) (Matteo, 75), Whelan, Pugh; Parkin, Pericard. Subs not used: De Laat, J Phillips, Wedderburn.
REFEREE: D Deadman (Cambridgeshire)
ATTENDANCE: 3,600 (562 from Stoke)
