Midfielder Kevin Dawson made his playing return for the Robins as a young Cheltenham Town side lost out to Weston-super-Mare on the coast.
Weston took a commanding first half lead with Jamie Lucas opening the scoring with a penalty while team-mate Gethyn Hill saw a second spot kick hit the bar.
Home forward Hill did find the net, when he finished off a sweeping move, before Jarrad Welch scored the pick of the first half goals with a superb free kick.
Lucas scored his second after the break before Fin Clift nodded home for the Robins with his first touch as a youthful Cheltenham side really impressed in the second half.
Dawson made his first appearance of pre-season - after also missing the end of the last campaign - to hand Cheltenham a boost just over a week from the new campaign.
Current academy prospects Camden Duncan, Archie Brennan, Will Dawes and Tyreece Briscoe all started the game while Academy products Matt Bower and George Lloyd also appeared.
It was Lloyd that fashioned the first chance as he cut back inside in the penalty area and forced Luke Purnell into a smart save down by his near post.
Lloyd looked lively in the opening ten minutes as he soon flicked up a low cross and acrobatically sent a bicycle kick just wide of the target.
Cheltenham had settled well with Tom Smith next to try his luck with a great hit from 25 yards out that arrowed just wide of the far post.
However, it was the home side that took the lead when they were awarded a penalty after 17 minutes when Matt Bower was adjudged to have clipped a trialist in the area.
Home striker Lucas stepped up to send Rhys Lovett the wrong way and the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
The Robins came close to an equaliser as Smith shrugged off his man and crossed to Archie Brennan, who saw his drilled shot well saved by Purnell. Captain Jordon Forster then headed the resulting corner over.
Weston had the chance to go further ahead with a second spot kick just before the half hour, after Forster tripped Hill.
But the forward was too casual with the penalty and chipped the ball onto the roof of the bar and away.
Hill, though, made amends five minutes later when he tapped in at the back post after Jacob Cane broke down the right wing and fired over a low cross.
The Robins had penalty appeals of their own waved away when Naby Diallo appeared to have clipped substitute Olly Price.
Weston then scored a fine free kick from 20 yards out as Welch curled into the top left corner past Lovett to make it 3-0 at the break.
There was an early chance for the Robins at the start of the second half as Lloyd crossed for Brennan who header narrowly wide.
But a mistake in midfield saw the home side swoop again just before the hour mark as Lucas was rolled in and he confidently slotted home.
The Robins started to empty the bench and it was substitute Clift who scored with his first touch as he headed home a corner at the back post.
Cheltenham were enjoying a good spell of possession as a team full of Academy prospects linked well and Aaron Basford tested Purnell.
The Weston goalkeeper then brilliantly denied Price, as he tipped over a powerful header from ten yards, before Clift screwed a shot just wide of the target.
Weston-super-Mare: Purnell (Kingston 83), Trialist, Trialist, Cane, Pope (Morris-Edwards 75), Lee, Swallow, Diallo, Welch, Lucas, Hill (Phipps 51)
Robins: Lovett, Thomas (Handley 63), Bower, Forster, Duncan, Smith (Price 30), Brennan, Briscoe (Scott 63), Dawson (Basford 45), Lloyd, Dawes (Clift 63). Subs not used: Middlehurst (Gk), Gilkes, Horton, Stanton.