Alsop & Duff crucial to continued survival bid

Despite only winning by one goal against Lincoln on Easter Saturday, Cheltenham could easily have won by much more. The damp conditions led to a more physical, direct approach from the Robins which proved highly effective. Of course the headlines were all about Julian Alsop`s record breaking strike, but aside from the attacking improvement shown by Mark Yates`s men the stout defence should also be equally praised. In the opening half Lincoln looked threatening with some slick passing getting in behind the Cheltenham backline, but the backline held firm and the second period went on to be dominated by the Robins.

The performance of Michael Townsend was singled out by Yates, but Shane Duff was just as important in shutting out the Imps. In terms of technical ability and reading of the game Duff is superior to Townsend, his vocal presence is also surely of great benefit to the team. If it wasn`t for his chronic injury problems he would surely be playing at a higher level. Even though Townsend is the current incumbent of the armband it is surely only a matter of time before it returns to Duff. This isn`t to dismiss the merits of Townsend though, he wears his heart on his sleeve and he clearly cares a lot about the club. Ideally I would like to see him and Duff lining up alongside one another for the start of next season. But, his continued presence as captain is one of the few decisions made by Yates`s so far which I disagree with.

With the platform for victory set by the solidity of the back four, the attacking side of the team also impressed at times on Saturday. Medy Elito continues to excite and looks capable of doing something positive every time he gets the ball. The central midfield pair of Matt Thornhill and Michael Pook worked hard in tough conditions, whilst Josh Low was his usual frustrating self with the occasional flash of promise. Justin Richards too was a mixed bag of occasional good link up play coupled with poor off -the-ball running and a constant problem with staying onside.

But, the man of the day was Julian Alsop. The Lincoln backline failed to cope with his physical presence all afternoon and his old-fashioned heavy handed style was what was needed in the wet conditions. His landmark goal was just reward and could well see him being kept on to play a part next season. In recent years Cheltenham have had problems attracting any kind of striker, but an effective target man is even harder to get hold of, further highlighting the value of Alsop. Having witnessed the insipid display of former Robin Paul Connor at Whaddon Road over the weekend, I know who I`d rather have.

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Off the field we saw the launch the of the new ‘Fan Zone` initiative hoping to attract new fans to the club. Such a scheme would seem quite a positive move, but what if you were a prospective new fan wishing to buy a ticket the day before the match? The reason I pose such a question was the fact that the ticket office at Whaddon Road was shut on Good Friday. It may well be a Bank Holiday, but with one of the club`s biggest games of the season coming up the next day it seemed a truly barmy decision. Many people would be off work on that day and it could be the only opportunity they have to get down to the ground to buy tickets. If as a new fan you were confronted with this I doubt you`d be impressed and would probably not bother again.

The club clearly put a lot of time, effort and money into creating this new match day experience. But, would they have not been better served simply using that money to pay people extra to work a Bank Holiday and sell more tickets for such a vital game? It seems that Cheltenham have over complicated things in their efforts to boost attendance levels and haven`t helped themselves. Personally, the only two factors that would improve the match day experience for me would be cheaper tickets and better quality football. I`m surely not in the minority thinking that everything else offered on Saturday could well have a waste of time. Such a scheme was introduced without really consulting fans on what they want themselves. The only sign of the club listening to supporters was the return of ‘Happiness` at the final whistle.