Cheltenham 2-0 Gosport Borough
Cheltenham Town's Under-18 side made it into the first round proper of the FA Youth Cup with a 2-0 victory over Gosport Borough at Bishop's Cleeve's Kayte Lane ground.
It was the youth team's toughest test in the competition this season having breezed through the previous three qualifying rounds and they were made to work hard for their win against a committeed side from the South Coast. Cheltenham will now play at home to Swindon Town in round one.
The first half hour of the game was very even but Cheltenham slowly began to assert themselves and Joe Hance saw a shot well saved by the impressive Gosport goalkeeper Callam McGeorge before Luke Thomas put the Robins in front 10 minutes before the break. Alex Dinsmore set him up with a clever back-heel and Thomas picked his spot with a left foot shot from 12 yards out.
Karnell Chambers drew another good save from McGeorge but he found the target four minutes into the second half when left-back Cameron Pring made a strong run and gave him the opportunity to shoot from the edge of the box.
James McCarthy, Hance and Thomas all went close in the remainder of the second half but Gosport had their moments and only some committed defending by the Cheltenham back line prevented the visitors from finding a way back into the game.
CHELTENHAM TOWN: Tetek; Lymn, Cordell, Bower, Pring (Thompson 90); Mendes, McCarthy (Nutting 79); L.Thomas, Chambers, Hance; Dinsmore (Ellicott 68). Other sub: J.Thomas
GOSPORT BOROUGH: McGeorge; Farrant (Blankson 75), Fitt, Stubbington, Elmes; Green; Strudwick (Nash 68), Woolcott (Lynch 65), Franklyn, Smart; Cooper
REFEREE: Daniel Jacobs