The Robins claimed an important three points with a 3-0 win over Peterborough United at the Weston Homes Stadium.
Alfie May scored one of the most spectacular braces you will ever see, after Tom Bradbury opened the scoring in Cambridgeshire.
The first big chance of the match fell the way of May after Will Norris decided not to come for a ball over the top from Will Ferry. May latched onto it himself, and had a shot saved from a tight angle by the Posh ‘keeper.
The Robins would then take the lead from the resulting corner. Bradbury’s right-footed volley from Ferry’s corner found the corner of the net, the centre half scoring his first goal in Cheltenham colours.
Soon afterwards, a piece of genius from May doubled the Robins’ lead. Bonds’ flick on is touched into the air by the forward, who is stood on the halfway line. With his second touch, he launched the ball over a despairing Norris and into an empty net.
The Posh responded with a double substitution after 25 minutes, and soon had their first chance of the match. The ball fell kindly on the right-hand side of the penalty area for Joe Ward to strike with power, cannoning the ball off the crossbar.
Boro thought they had an equaliser when Jonson Clarke-Harris tapped home from close range, but the goal was quickly disallowed for offside, adding to the hosts’ frustration.
The Posh applied pressure straight away in the second half. Ferry had to be alert to clear the ball from inside the six yard box with a diving header, after Nathanael Ogbeta tried to find Ward with a firmly-hit cross.
A high press from Cheltenham’s front line yielded a turnover of possession courtesy of Ryan Jackson, who played the ball into the feet of Ryan Broom. The midfielder danced into the penalty area before having a shot at goal, but this time Norris was comfortable in holding the ball.
Boro wasted another good chance when Jack Taylor strode forward unchallenged with the Robins defence forced to back off. With options left and right, the midfielder opted to take the shot himself, which was easily held by Southwood.
May would then score his second of the afternoon with another spectacular finish. Jackson’s long throw was cleared as far as May, who lashed the ball into the top right-hand corner of the net to score his 50th league goal for the Robins.
Peterborough: Norris (GK), Edwards (Tshimanga 56’), Kent, Taylor, Clarke-Harris, Mason-Clark (Norburn 25’), Poku, Ogbeta (Butler 75’), Burrows (Randall 75’), Kyprianou (Thompson 25’), Ward
Unused: Blackmore (GK), Jones
Robins: Southwood (GK), Long ©, Bradbury, Taylor, Ferry (Williams 65’), Bonds (Perry 85’), Sercombe (Rea 69’), Broom, May, Keena (Goodwin 65’)
Unused: MacDonald (GK), Baggott, Olayinka
Attendance: 8947 (203 away)
Referee: A Young
