Cheltenham Town FC

An injury-hit young Robins side beat Weston-Super-Mare 4-0 in the first round of the FA youth cup. With five scholars out injured and first team manager, Mark Yates, in the Whaddon Road stand, Cheltenham were keen to impress.  

The Robins started the game at pace, going close in only the second minute. Jamie Goodwin carved out a good chance for Lewis Thompson down the right hand side only for the striker to send it just wide in the area. Thompson again forced Weston-Super-Mare’s goalkeeper, and captain, Ryan Scott into a fine save in the twelfth minute. The centre forward hit a low driving shot from distance and the resulting corner was headed wide by Cheltenham’s Niall Rowe. The Robins continued to pile on the pressure in the 16th minute as Danny Reynolds’ cross from the left was met by a Jamie Goodwin header which fizzled out just wide of the right post.  

Cheltenham’s pressure finally paid off and the Robins broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute. Adam Page, on the left hand side, set up Lewis Thompson on the edge of the box and the striker fired the ball into the right corner of the goal with a finessed strike. Weston responded quickly to going behind and in the 27th minute midfielder Tyler Davis made a surging run down the left hand side, cut in on his right foot and curled a shot just wide of Bojan Tetek in the Cheltenham goal. Reece Daly looked a threat for Cheltenham after his shot was saved from distance in the 29th minute. The midfielder’s drag back evaded a Weston sliding tackle and set him up perfectly for the strike only for it to go straight at Ryan Scott. 

Lewis Thompson looked keen to double his tally after his powerful shot from the edge of the box was tipped just over the bar in the 35th minute by Ryan Scott. Thompson went close again in the 42nd minute when the striker’s long range shot from the right hand side was palmed away well by Scott. In the 43rd minute, striker Alex Dinsmore doubled Cheltenham’s lead. James McCarthy’s low driven cross from the right caused havoc in the box and, following a goal mouth scramble, the ball spilled out to Dinsmore who dispatched it into the right hand side of the goal. As, referee, Phillip Staynings sounded his whistle for half-time, Cheltenham were the team, comfortably, on top.  

Five minutes into the second half Cheltenham made it three nil. Lewis Thompson reacted quickest in the box after James McCarthy’s shot was parried straight to the striker who finished calmly from close range. McCarthy himself went close on the 55th minute, Jamie Goodwin’s ball from the right found McCarthy on the edge of the box only for the midfielder to fire it wide of the left side of the goal. McCarthy went close again on the 64th minute, after some good footwork on the edge of the box his left footed shot deflected wide as the resulting corner came to nothing. On the 70th minute Niall Rowe made it four nil. A cross from the right found Rowe in the box and the centre half’s header looped over, an off his line, Ryan Scott in the Weston goal. On the 76th minute Adam Page should have made it five. The winger found himself in the centre of the box, one on one, only to blaze his shot well over the bar. After a flurry of late chances, the Robins ran out comfortable victors. Cheltenham will now play Colchester away in the next round of the cup.  

Team: Tetek, Cordell, Reynolds, McCarthy, Rowe (Capt.), Craddock, Goodwin (Lymn 72), Daly (Mendes 84), Dinsmore (Hughes 76), Thompson, Page. Subs not used: Bower, Thomas 

Referee: P Staynings