A case for the defence – Brown Sugar

It was pointed out to me after yesterday’s blog that I failed to mention the Robin’s defence.

While this is a fair comment, the fact is that Cheltenham caught the eye going forward and – despite Crewe’s two goals – always looked the better attacking team. As Crewe boss Dario Gradi said: “I thought they were going to score ten in the first 30 minutes!”

Given this, you tend not to concentrate too much on the defending. However, both full backs – Keith Lowe and Danny Andrew – looked good going forward in support of the midfield. Steve Elliott is a solid performer at this level and looked a real rock (I was surprised when he was allowed to leave Bristol Rovers in the summer) and Martin Riley looked equally comfortable alongside him before going off with a hamstring injury on the half hour.

The dependable David Bird replaced Riley and Lowe moved into the centre to accommodate him, but Cheltenham weren’t thrown be the change and carried on playing in the same positive manner.

When you’re a keeper you hate to concede, but Scott Brown was faultless for either goal. Central defender Patrick Ada’s volley from a corner was something he may have done hundreds of times in his dreams, but one would suspect it isn’t something Gradi insists on him practicing on the training ground! And Zola’s header from a free kick was beyond Brown as well.

In fact, had Brown not been at his best in the closing minutes, Shaun Miller might have stolen an undeserved point, but the young keeper palmed away the striker’s point blank header from ten yards to ensure victory.

So to the person who is more interested in the back five, I hope this redresses the balance!!

Cheltenham Town 3 Crewe Alexandra 2 – Samba, samba

My clipping from this morning's copy of The Sun

A link to The Sun's footy pages: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/

Cheltenham’s Whaddon Road ground (I refuse to call it the Abbey Business Stadium) nestles in the shadows of the Cotswold hills and – although the club is actually located in the town itself – it has to be among the most scenic settings in the football league. It’s not quite the Copacabana, but Mark Yates had the locals dancing in their green wellies and tweed jackets as though they were in downtown Rio on Saturday.

Yates has spent the summer reshaping his squad and they all seem to have bought into the style of play he wants to play – and boy was it entertaining.

Crewe – under respected veteran manager Dario Gradi – have built a reputation themselves for passing football over the years and so they also contributed to a great afternoon’s entertainment.

Yates based his tactics on a midfield diamond formation and each of the four players – Michael Pook, Josh Low, Frankie Artus and Brian Smikle – covered every blade of grass as they passed, moved and interchanged. God only knows how long they had to stay in the bar to rehydrate after the game! My guess is that they are probably still in there.

Crewe took the lead through a sweetly taken volley by Cameroon central defender Patrick Ada before Wes Thomas responded with two himself. The Railwaymen never gave up though and stuck to their guns to draw level from a diving header by big striker Calvin Zola.

In the end though Cheltenham’s winner summed up the way they had played all afternoon with a sweet passing movement from the back that finished up in the net from about 12 yards out courtesy of Thomas’s co-striker Jeff Goulding.

Goulding and Thomas had played together for one season at Fisher Athletic netting nearly 40 goals between them and if the can replicate that form for Mark Yates, he’ll be one happy bunny come the end of the season.

I suspect that Goulding will turn out to be the foil for Thomas and, if they can maintain this form and get some gaol scoring support from the midfielders, I might well have seen a top seven side in action.

However, there’s a long, hard season ahead and so Robins’ fans shouldn’t get too carried away just yet. But if you missed the game on Saturday, it’s worth spending a few quid getting along to the next home fixture. There are no guarantees they’ll win, but if they play like this it’ll be money well spent.

Off to Whaddon Road – A-lex

Just got a call to cover the Cheltenham game against Crewe tomorrow afternoon and I’m looking forward to seeing the side Mark Yates has put together in the summer.


It’s tough being the manager of Cheltenham. The team doesn’t have a lot of money and the town itself is hardly noted as a hotbed of football. Rural Gloucestershire is rugby and horse racing country and – despite being one of the most affluent areas in the country – the football club is definitely the poor cousin in sporting terms.

Having said that, the Robins have done well to flit between League One and League Two in recent seasons. Sometimes expectations from some fans are too great given the limited resources. I remember former boss John Ward once telling me that while half the fans at Whaddon Road remembered the non-league days and were just happy to be punching above their weight in League One at that time, the other half were younger and expected the club to be pushing for the Championship and beyond!!

In the brief period of time that I have got to know Mark Yates, I suspect that he will deliver for those more demanding fans, although I suspect it will take a couple of seasons before they return to League One.

Crewe boss Dario Gradi has more experience than just about any other manager in the English game and is in his third stint in the role having twice tried to retire to the relative sanity of the boardroom as the club’s Technical Director. If anyone can revive Alex it is Gradi and I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes them to a top seven finish this season.

Having said that, I predict a win for Cheltenham on their home turf tomorrow by 2-0.