Cheltenham Town slumped to their heaviest Football League defeat at the hands of newly crowned Coca-Cola League Two champions, Notts County, this afternoon.

Mark Yates' side will have to wait another week before clinching a 13th campaign in the Football League, with Grimsby Town coming out on top in today's battle of the basement with Barnet at Blundell Park to tee up a tense finale next week.

There was a terrific atmosphere at Meadow Lane, but the game itself was in danger of being lost to the occasion and Cheltenham would been happier if it had, shipping four goals in 10 devestating first half minutes to set up a nerve-shredding second half.

County could have had doubled that number by the half-way point and the security of a superior goal difference over relegation rivals Grimsby Town looked in real danger of being ebbed away with ease.

Fortunately from a Cheltenham perspective, the home side only added one further goal after the break.

Nottingham is of course home to one of the greatest managers the game of football has ever seen - and let's not forget about Brian Clough.

Steve Cotterill dragged the Robins into the third tier of English football in six memorable seasons at Whaddon Road and was cheered throughout by the sizeable travelling support, who made plenty of noise despite making up the largest crowd of the season inside this famous old ground.

The legendary manager has now guided his new employers to the League Two title, accruing 14 wins in 17 along the way.

Cheltenham then face a nervous afternoon against Accrington Stanley at the Abbey Business Stadium next Saturday (May 9), into which they carry a slender three-point and six-goal advantage.

TEAM NEWS: Boss Yates made one change to his side ahead of this afternoon's contest, Lee Ridley replacing Aaron Lescott at left back after missing last weekend's defeat by Aldershot Town at the Abbey Business Stadium.

Fifth minute: Cheltenham had made the brighter start, forcing a couple of early corners before Medy Elito produced the first opportunity of the afternoon. Matt Thornhill's fifth minute flag-kick was partially cleared and the Colchester United loanee smashed one in on target from 20 yards, although the considerable frame of Magpies striker Delroy Facey denied the winger on this occasion.

6: Thornhill attempted a bicycle kick a minute later after the home side had failed to clear their lines, but the Forest man's effort missed the target by a couple of feet.

7: Striker Lee Hughes was a doubt coming into this game, but League Two's top marksman, now with 30 goals to his name, couldn't force on target Ben Davies' centre from the right in the seventh minute.

16 BOOKING: Neal Bishop picked up the first caution of the contest for a clumsy challenge on Thornhill in midfield.

19: Scott Brown was alert to Michael Townsend's sliced clearance after the skipper had made a hash of Davies' ball from the right, claiming it with both hands.

21 GOAL: Notts County 1-0 Cheltenham Town
The champions broke the deadlock with 21 minutes on the clock after Facey had earned his side a corner down the left. Davies supplied the inswinging ball and Graeme Lee rose to head home at the far post.

22 GOAL: Notts County 2-0 Cheltenham Town
Things went from bad to worse only 30 seconds after the restart, again Davies providing the ball from deep inside his own half to tee up Hughes, who cooly finished from the edge of the box under Brown, who had raced from his line.

25 GOAL: Notts County 3-0 Cheltenham Town
County claimed their third midway through the first period, Davies credited with the goal despite a telling contribution from Hughes which had incensed Brown. The former Chester City and Shrewsbury Town man struck the free-kick from the best part of 25 yards which found the back of the net between the Cheltenham number one's legs, although he felt it had clipped Hughes hand on the way through.

24: Ridley was called into a last ditch clearance to deny Craig Westcarr a goal from the inside left channel with Cheltenham struggling to contain the rampant champions at this point.

29: Hughes had the ball in the back of the net a minute shy of the half hour mark, but this time the Assistant Referee ruled that the striker had stayed past the last defender.

31 GOAL: Notts County 4-0 Cheltenham Town
Hughes grabbed his second of the afternoon on 31 minutes, beating Townsend down the left before teasing the centre half inside the box and curling one past Brown from a tight angle.

35: Kasper Schmeichel claimed Thornhill's tame shot 10 minutes from the break, with his famous father watching from the main stand.

39: Pook volleyed over from 20 yards after his initial free-kick was driven into the defensive wall.

40 SUBSTITUTION: Cheltenham were handed a reprieve five minutes before the break when Cotterill withdrew Hughes, replacing him with Lee Rodgers.

42: Brown was equal to Stephen Hunt's long ranger as the half drew to a close, dropping onto the low drive to smother the danger.

44: Facey should have done better with Davies' free-kick delivery on the stroke of half time but the striker misjudged the flight of the ball as it came over from the left and glanced it wide of the right post.

HALF TIME: 4-0

46 SUBSTITUTION: Lescott replaced Barry Hayles at the half way point to take up a defensive midfield role in front of the centre halves. The move resulted in a switch of formation to 4-5-1 with Justin Richards fending for himself up front.

55: Bishop wasted a great chance to add the fifth 10 minutes after the turn-around, poking one wide of the left upright from 12 yards.

65: Thornhill drew another comfortable save from the former Manchester City 'keeper, shooting from 20 yards.

69: Davies, County's star performer on the day, fizzed one a foot wide of Brown's right post from distance 20 minutes from time.

76 BOOKING : Skipper John Thompson was carded for a tug on Elito's shirt.

82 GOAL: Notts County 5-0 Cheltenham Town
Substitute Rodgers made it five with eight minutes remaining, looping the ball over Brown after Westcarr had lifted the ball over the Cheltenham back four from the left flank.

88 SUBSTITUTION: Schmeichel made way for Russell Hoult on his last appearance for the Magpies and left the pitch to a tremendous ovation. The former West Brom man's first contribution was to deny Richards a consolation goal from 12 yards in the final minute of time.

90+3 BOOKING: Ricky Ravenhill received a caution for a poor tackle on Lescott in the final moments.

FULL TIME: 5-0

NOTTS COUNTY (4-4-2): Schmeichel (Hoult 88); Thompson (c), Lee, Edwards, Hunt; Westcarr , Ravenhill, Bishop, Davies; Hughes (Rodgers 40), Facey (Hamshaw 68). Subs not used: Hawley, Clapham, Jackson, Akinbiyi.

CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-4-2): Brown; Gallinagh, Eastham, Townsend, Ridley; Low, Pook, Thornhill, Elito; Hayles (Lescott 46), Richards. Subs not used: Puddy (Gk),Hutton, Brown, Hutton, Almond, Watkins, Alsop.

REFEREE: C Pawson

ATTENDANCE: 11,331 (528 from Cheltenham)

Murry Toms at Meadow Lane