First up was the team that are second bottom in the division, and next up to complete the second half of our Easter Double Act are the mob propping up the table as things stand. That’s right, it’s Cheltenham Town down at their gaff and points are starting to become a must if we’re really sure about taking this season into some overtime with one of those playoff berths.
It’s not going to be a clean sweep this weekend, for obvious reasons. Tranmere indoors didn’t go to plan, with just the one point where three should have been. It’s now time to sack off this niggly run of form that has us without a win in five games, with that last triumph coming at the end of February. The Robins, looking at the stats, give us enough reason that we can…
The 2014-5 Season Review Doovdé (also available in Betamax?) will no doubt come layered with the Casualty theme tune over the top. Injuries have pestered us like an errant neighbour, a grizzled housefly or a gloating Piers Morgan. But we still sure that we have enough in the tank to deal with Cheltenham Town and gallop into deepest April with point-winning intent.
Guys and gals, our hosts might have raised a chuckle over at The LAD Bible with their Manchester United-bashing billboard in yonder times this season. But what exactly has that hallowed win at Cambridge United done for them? Nothing much. They are in a right old pickle at home, with four wins in 20 on their own turf and just 19 goals – NINETEEN – to their credit.
You can also add the fact that Cheltenham Town have just three clean sheets to their name at the Abbey Business Stadium and, while their home defence isn’t exactly leaky, we’ll be acting in open defiance of the form gods if we don’t score at least once. So, is this one ripe and ready for plucking? Well, we can’t think of a better team to be playing when points are needed.
How will this one play out then? For a start, we have to expect yet more personnel changes. Keith Keane, by our reckoning, has a two-match suspension to serve after making it to 10 bookings. Otherwise, it’s a case of hoping some familiar faces can return – Jesus died and came back to life inside 72 hours back in the day, so surely anything is possible in the physio room.
It probably needs pointing out that we’ve never actually won a game of association soccer at Whaddon Road before; two draws and two defeats our current record over there. But we have bagged a huge nine goals in our last two meetings against our hosts and have the memory of that 5-1 mauling earlier this season to call upon. Let’s just hope they’re not good at revenge.
After busting some coupons at the weekend, the bookies are more guarded about our chances here. We’re 29/20 (Bet Victor) to take the points, with the draw 12/5 at a number of places. It’s normally a case of Under 2.5 Goals at Cheltenham (7/9) and you’ll get 11/10 (Paddy Power) on one team failing to score. Jack Jebb is 13/2 to score at any time during the 90.
We’re still within heavy petting distance of the top seven, though we can expect to fall further behind the pace if we don’t make it a win here. Luton Town might be moonwalking themselves down the table, but Newport and Plymouth are not and we don’t want to make it too hard for ourselves going into the last five games. Just 18 points left to nab, let’s pinch three here…
BoroGuide has a Cheltenham Town club profile that brings all the boys to the yard.
