Julian Alsop edged one nearer to Cheltenham Town's Football League goalscoring record with a last minute effort to snatch all three points at the Spotland Stadium tonight.

This game was seemingly set for stalemate, a result Martin Allen would have greeted with satisfaction after his side had laboured to contain the hosts in the second half.

But up popped the legendary striker, on the stroke of time, to reward another hard working defensive display with his 36th goal  in the Football League, which in fairness to Rochdale was harsh.

Alsop is now closing in Martin Devaney's record of 38 goals for Cheltenham Town in the Football League.

It is almost ten years to the day since Cheltenham made their Football League bow against Rochdale at Whaddon Road, losing 2-0 on that occasion, but in the decade that has past the Robins have achieved promotion to League One twice.

This evening's hosts are now striving for a similar success at the 36th attempt.

But surely it's only a matter of time until that record is put to bed under current manager Keith Hill, who featured on five occasions for Steve Cotterill's promotion side of 2001/02.

He has taken this side into the play-offs in each of the last two campaigns and it looks likely that they will be there or thereabouts again on this evening's evidence.

TEAM NEWS: Cheltenham Town manager Martin Allen made two changes to the side which came away from Edgar Street with a point at the weekend. Drissa Diallo continued at right back with David Bird deputising in central midfield in the absence of Michael Pook, who picked up an ankle and knee injury in the 1-1 draw with Hereford United. Meanwhile Tom Denton joined Elvis Hammond in attack at the expense of Barry Hayles, who took his place on the bench. The 17-year-old, second year scholar Kyle Haynes was promoted to the 16.

First minute: Elvis Hammond almost registered his third goal of the season from 20 yards inside the first minute of the game when his low shot picked up a significant enough deflection to call Rochdale goalkeeper Kenny Arthur into a diving stop, low to his right.

6: A neat Cheltenham move six minutes in ended with Hammond racing onto Lee Ridley's reverse ball before dragging a shot wide from 12 yards.

9: Rochdale fashioned their first opportunity of the evening with eight minutes on the clock when Will Buckley latched onto Joe Thompson's ball over the top. The striker though narrowly missed the angle of the goal with a fierce strike from an angle down the inside right channel.

16: Cheltenham were able to string a number of passes together in the opening exchanges which created some meaningful pressure on the Dale back line. One such move in the 16th minute was finished by Tom Denton's 12 yard volley flying wide.

18: Rochdale went close a couple of minutes later after Matt Flynn met a Adam Rundle free-kick from the right with a firm enough header, but the Assistant Referee had flagged for offside before Michael Townsend had acrobatically cleared his own line.

19: Oliver Bozanic almost produced a stunning goal, jinking past a couple of defenders before letting fly from 25 yards in the 19th minute which drew a sharp stop from the Rochdale number one to his right.

33: Rochdale really should have been in front at the 33rd minute mark after some good work down the left by Rundle created a gilt-edged chance for Chris Dagnall six yards from goal. The Dale front man however inexplicably volleyed over. At the other end, Justin Richards drew a comfortable save from Arthur with a shot from the corner of the box.

36: The next sight of goal fell to Richards, who was played through by Bird nine minutes before the break. The striker found himself free on goal after Flynn had dived into the tackle and although his attempted curler from the edge of the box evaded Arthur, his strike grazed the outside of the right post and out of play.

38: Jason Kennedy smacked one over the target from 25 yards after a good move by the home side down the left.

45: The last chances of the half fell to Rochdale, first to Rundle after Gary Jones had created a shooting chance for the winger 20 yards from goal and then Buckley from a similar distance. Both strikes though missed the target.

HALF TIME: 0-0

48: Rundle called Brown into an early stop when he released a shot from 18 yards.

55: Rundle again tested Brown, this time from a few yards further out but the Cheltenham number one was equal to it.

59: Thompson was a whisker away from notching the opening after Marcus Holness had hooked the ball back into the Cheltenham penalty area, but despite the delivery taking a minor deflection off Townsend's boot, the winger, arriving at the back post, couldn't reach the ball with his outstretched foot.

61 SUBSTITUTION: Cheltenham made the first move of the evening. Denton was withdrawn while Barry Hayles was pressed into action, and the veteran striker saw a shot travel the wrong side of the left upright only moments later.

72: Bird was let off the hook with a little under 20 minutes remaining when he gave it away on the half way line, handing Buckley the opportunity to race in on goal. Fortunately for the midfielder, Townsend got across and made a vital tackle to block the striker's shot and concede a corner which came to nothing.

73 SUBSTITUTION: Boss Allen made his second switch, replacing Hammond with David Hutton in the 73rd minute.

75: Hayles should have done better with an effort from the edge of the Rochdale box, instead pulling it wide of the left post.

77 SUBSTITUTION: Scott Spencer swapped with the impressive Rundle for the home side 13 minutes from time.

78: Brown did well to save from Dagnall, who pulled the trigger from 20 yards after another dangerous build-up by Rochdale.

82 SUBSTITUTION: Allen's last switched amounted to Julian Alsop coming on for Bird.

85: Bozanic and Hutton combined to carve open Rochdale's defence with five minutes to go but Richards reacted slowly to the ex-Spurs man's clever through ball and tamely poked his effort straight at Arthur.

88: Hutton was manacing after his introduction and almost snatched it with two minutes to go when he went past a couple of defenders and smashed one across Arthur, however it travelled only inches

89 BOOKING: Diallo went into the book for a clumsy foul on Buckley in the closing stages.

90 GOAL: Rochdale 0-1 Cheltenham Town
Just as the game seemed set to end in stalemate, a defensive mistake handed Cheltenham one last chance which they did not squander. A critical error by Holness allowed Hayles the opportunity to surge down down the right and square a ball into the path of striker, who nudged the ball past Arthur with the outside of his boot  from 12 yards to snatch the points and send the travelling contingent into raptures.

FULL TIME: 0-1

ROCHDALE (4-4-2): Arthur; Flynn, Dawson, Holness, T Kennedy; Thompson, J Kennedy, Jones, Rundle (Spencer 77); Dagnall, Buckley. Subs not used: Edwards, Stevens, Shaw, Higginbottom, Wiseman, Brown.

CHELTENHAM TOWN (4-4-2): Brown; Diallo, Townsend, Duff, Ridley; Bozanic, Gallinagh, Bird (Alsop 82), Richards; Denton (Hayles 61), Hammond (Hutton 73). Subs not used: Richardson (Gk), Low, Tabor, Haynes.

REFEREE: A. Haines (Tyne and Wear)

ATTENDANCE: 2,311

Murry Toms at the Spotland Stadium