Cheltenham Town continued their preparations for next weekend's League Two opener at Leyton Orient with defeat by Burnley Under-23s this afternoon.
Michael Duff's former charges provided a stern test for his current side, winning by the odd goal in five at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium.
Luke Varney bagged two goals on the day, twice pulling his side level inside the opening half-hour of the contest but Bobby Thomas' strike six minutes after the break decided this penultimate friendly of the summer.
Duff takes his side to Bromsgrove Sporting on Tuesday evening to complete his pre-season programme ahead of the campaign curtain raiser against the east Londoners in seven days' time.
There were some impressive young players in the Burnley ranks and they made an impressive start, taking the lead twice in the opening half-hour.
Their first was as early as the fifth minute, courtesy of a trialist after some hesitation in the Robins defence after a long throw. However Varney pulled it back just four minutes later, meeting Sean Long's pinpoint cross from the right with a perfect glancing header.
Burnley immediately reclaimed the lead, this time through another trialist after a corner from the left was cleared into the winger's path and converted from close range. Varney though cancelled it our midway through the first half with a fine finish from distance.
Burnley were in front for a third time six minutes after the interval, Josh Benson swinging in a free-kick from the left and Bobby Thomas meeting it with a thumping header.
Ben Tozer shaved the left upright with a flick header and Varney saw a deflected effort float over the target as the Robins searched for a leveller. At the other end, a third trialist was a whisker away from added a fourth, dragging an effort wide of the target from 18 yards.
Trialists Jake Gray (for Ryan Broom) and Jonte Smith (Tahvon Campbell) were pressed into action shortly after the hour mark and Gray went on to have a couple of decent chances, miscontrolling the first and firing over with another.
Smith then tested Adam Legzdins from distance but the goalkeeper dropped to save the Bermudian's low effort.
CHELTENHAM TOWN (3-5-2): Flinders; Raglan, Tozer (c), Boyle; Long, Broom (Gray 61), Ince, Clements, Bowry; Campbell (Smith 61), Varney. Subs not used: Lovett (Gk), Thomas, Addai, Brennan, Horton.
BURNLEY UNDER-23s (4-4-2): Legzdins; Cropper, Thomas, Dunne (c), Wilson; Trialist (Conn-Clarke 61), Trialist, Benson, Koiki; Trialist (Richardson 46), Harker. Subs not used: Calderbank-Park (Gk), Senior, N'Guessan, Steels, Harris.
REFEREE: J Busby