Confidence is flowing through the Cheltenham Town camp following another superb win at the weekend, and the busy fixture schedule sees the Robins on the road once again on Tuesday night with a trip to face Bury (kick-off 7.45pm).
Saturday’s 2-1 home win over Newport County has helped Michael Duff’s side make it seven matches unbeaten in all competitions and the side have conceded only once in seven hours of football.
They are impressive statistics, but they’ll be tested significantly on Tuesday as Bury are the hosts at the Energy Check Stadium at Gigg Lane. The Shakers are keen on making an immediate return to Sky Bet League One following their resignation last season and will provide one of the most difficult tests of Duff’s tenure as manager so far.
Team news
Club captain Johnny Mullins was back on the bench at the weekend after recovering from concussion and is expected to be involved again. Jacob Maddox is meanwhile still fighting to be fit ahead of the game.
Kevin Dawson and Sean Long are both definitely out through injury.
Watch Michael Duff’s pre-match press conference below:
Opposition
Ninth in League Two and one point off the play-off places, Bury were leading 2-0 away from home on Saturday at Cambridge United but were denied all three points, and were forced to settle for a draw, after Greg Taylor’s late finish saw the U’s find a late equaliser.
They are on a five-game unbeaten run ahead of Tuesday’s contest – a run which includes four wins and a draw in all competitions. In those five games they’ve found the back of the net 18 times, including a 5-0 trouncing of Dover in the Emirates FA Cup and a 4-0 home success against Stevenage.
Ryan Lowe oversees the Shakers. The experienced striker is in his first managerial position at a club where he’s enjoyed three spells as a player. He leads a squad that boasts a number of talented players at this level.
Experienced Republic of Ireland international goalkeeper Joe Murphy provides guidance at the back, while in attacking positions they boast the qualities of Nicky Maynard, Chris Dagnall and wide men Byron Moore and Danny Mayor.
Previous meetings
The Robins have had the edge when it comes to meetings with Tuesday’s opponents in the past. Cheltenham have come out on top on eight occasions, while Bury have recorded five wins, with just one draw between the two clubs – that was for the first meeting in September 2003 when Kayode Odejayi found the net at Gigg Lane to secure a point. Michael Duff was in the Cheltenham side that day.
An April 2010 win is Cheltenham’s biggest over Bury. Josh Low grabbed a brace and there were further strikes from Justin Richards, Nottingham Forest loanee Matt Thornhill and Barry Hayles in a 5-2 win where current Bury boss Ryan Lowe scored a brace for the Shakers.
The last time the two teams met was in February 2015 where despite a Denny Johnstone strike, Danny Mayor and Danny Rose’s goals sealed three points for Bury on their travels in a 2-1 win.
Information for travelling supporters
Tickets are available to purchase on the turnstiles on the night of the game, Bury’s ticket office on arrival and online here. Ticket prices for Tuesday are available to view here.
The supporters coach travelling to Bury leaves the Jonny-Rocks Stadium at 2pm. Purchase your seats on the coach through the Cheltenham ticket office by calling 01242 573558 (option 1) or by visiting the ticket office when it opens on Tuesday morning at 10am up until the 2pm departure.
Coverage
Stay up to date by following @CTFCofficial on Twitter for team news and match updates. Check out the club website after full time for a match report and reaction to the result.
Listen to commentary using iFollow at ctfc.com/ifollow.