Midweek derby crucial for Cheltenham

With the season`s end fast approaching and the games coming thick and fast, Cheltenham`s clash with Hereford on Tuesday night is crucial to the club`s survival bid. If they were to win their game in hand, the Robins would climb to 19th place and give them a ten point cushion over Grimsby. Despite recent victories and games in hand, Darlington look doomed and the last relegation place could realistically go to any one of six teams, with Hereford being one of them. The recent improvement in home form need to be built on this week, as Chesterfield also visit Whaddon Road on Saturday.

Mark Yates is reportedly working hard to bring in another striker and his removal of Justin Richards and Elvis Hammond at half time against Northampton shows his desire for change. Full credit must go to Yates for acting so swiftly and leaves both players with a clear indication that their time at Cheltenham is under serious threat. With Barry Hayles also likely to leave at the end of season and Julian Alsop not getting any younger, the Robins forward options need addressing in both the short and long term.

The return of Matt Thornhill will also be vital to Cheltenham`s hopes of victory on Tuesday evening, along with the hoped for return of skipper Michael Townsend. The inclusion of Shane Duff as substitute for the previous two games further improves the Robins defensive options. There are many areas Yates`s squad which need addressing at the season`s end, but Cheltenham look as if they have just enough to get by for the immediate future.

Both the left and right flanks could see serious changes in the coming months and the need for a dead ball specialist is also crucial. The Robins set pieces have lacked a certain quality ever since the likes of Grant McCann and Brian Wilson left Whaddon Road. Of course Yates won`t have much money to play with, but he was faced with a similar situation at Kidderminster and did well. To free up funds, the reported big earners like Hayles and Lee Ridley may well be replaced by younger, cheaper alternatives released by Premier League clubs. This has been hinted at by the range of trialists currently training with Cheltenham.

But, the most pressing of matters is the next ten weeks and the preservation of the Robins league status. In Yates two months at the helm, Cheltenham have shown a more collective spirit even if they do lack quality at times. The manager is burdened by the need to use players left by the previous regime, with some impressing much more than others. Come the season`s end though, Yates will be able to put his own mark on the squad and we can hopefully look forward to a brighter future at Whaddon Road.