Robins crash out of Division 2 after woodwork woe

By Peegs
June 14 2003

The Robins backed on by a superb away following of over 3000 slipped out of Division 2 after a 1-0 defeat to Notts County, Chesterfield stay up but will have the Meadow Lane woodwork to thank.

Blackpool did their half of the bargain and held Chesterfield to a 1-1 draw at Bloomfield Road but a brave Cheltenham couldn't muster a result at Meadow Lane. The team was the same as the oen that easily disposed of Blackpool at Whaddon Road the week before.

It was hard to tell which team was playing at home with the noise generated by the masses of Robins fans in the away end, the support on the day was magnificent, if only it could have been rewarded with a win.

Mike Duff continued upfront but it was Notts County - who won easily at Whaddon Road earlier in the season 4-1 - who created the first chance, the dangerous Danny Allsopp exchanged a one two with exciting Magpies youngster Paul Heffernan, the Aussie was through on goal but Jamie Victory made a last ditch challenge to save Town's blushes.

Players and sponsors player of the season John Finnigan then blasted a 20 yard shot over the bar and Grant McCann sent a free kick from a similar distance inches wide of young Notts 'keeper Deeney's post.

After 10 minutes Cheltenham should have taken the lead, a cross from Dave Bird arrived at the back post Jamie Victory headed at goal but the woodwork denied the Robins a goal as the ball rebounded off the cross bar, the woodwork has cost us alot of points recently - hitting it twice at Wycombe and once at home to Peterborugh cost us 4 points alone, what have I said about luck all season?!?!

2 brave moment of keeping by both 'keepers saw the score stay at 0-0, firstly Higgs dived at the feet of Mark Stallard and at the other end Deeney flund himself into the boot of Mark Yates to intercept a Martin Devaney cross.

With a quater of an hour gone a moment that I will remeber for a while occured, at the back of the stand everybody was cheering and dancing, what people without radio's - like myself - thought was that Blackpool must have taken the lead, so we all started cheering, however it appears they were cheering the fact that Swansea had fallen a goal down to Hull City, have these people no brains? what in the name of Satan does this have to do with us? why oh why we are remotely bothered about Swansea is behond me.

The Robins knowing they most likely would have to win the game were shooting from all sorts of distances, Naylor and Finnigan both shooting over, perhaps a little dinked ball through the back line would have been a better option?

Shane Higgs showed why he should be the number one 'keeper next season in the 21st minute with a superb stop from Heffernan, a through ball by the Notts County Brough sent him through on goal, he took the ball 14 yards from goal and powered a low shot that Higgs somehow diverted wide for a corner kick.

Town - whoe were playing some nice football at times - created another good scoring chance minutes later, a Mike Duff cross was met with a diving header by Mark Yates 6 yards out, the header lacked power and Dooney smothered the ball before it could cross the line, how frustrating!

The 40th minute was one to forget, Notts County took the lead but equally as frustrating for Town fans was the news that Chesterfield had taken the lead at Bloomfield Road. The Notts County goal came on a break away as Cheltenham had players up field. Stallard got free on the right and he sent in a pin point cross that Allsopp headed into the net. It really was a minute to forget.

H/T NOTTS COUNTY 1-0 CHELTENHAM

H/T BLACKPOOL 0-1 CHESTERFIELD

The half time scores really couldn't be going any worse could they! An attackign substitution was made by Bobby Gould at half time, Julian Alsop having recovered from a nasty eye infection replacing Neil Howarth who had made his final appearance for the Robins.

The Robins had to keep plugging away and do there job in trying to get 3 points regardless of what was happening by the seaside at Blackpool. Grant McCann - playing against a side he has had a loan spell at - fired a 20 yard shot at goal that lacked power and Deeney was able to make a comfortable save.

The Robins - roared on by the fans behind the goal - should have scored 10 minutes into the second half, Devaney slid a ball through to Naylor, he ran at goal but his touch was heavy, the veteran striker playing his last game for the club still managed to get a shot away but it lacked and power and Deeney managed to block the ball.

With an hour on the clock loud cheers from the Cheltenham stand were this time justified as Blackpool had infact equalised, could the Tangerines go on to claim a winner meaning Cheltenham would only need to claim a draw?

The Blackpool goal lifted the Town fans to get further behind their team and were nearly rewarded with a Mark Yates wonder goal. A loose ball arrived to him 25 yards out and he crashed a swinging shot at goal which shuddered against the outside of the post, this was the point when I thought it wasn't going to be are day and we would be going down.

Damian Spencer was brought on for Dave Bird as Cheltenham needed at least a goal if not 2 to preserve there second division status, the fans continued so back their heroes in the middle, long ball after long ball were pumped forward but Alsop barely managed to flick one on.

Cheltenham were now vulnerable on the break, at times it was 3 against 1 at the back but a combination of off side and poor finishing saw the Notts County goal tally stay at one.

The final whistle blew and we can be proud that are lads battled to the end, without trying to sound like a sore loser the woodwork has denied us another year in Division 2, but this is what football is about, you have your good times and your bad, us Robins fans have had many good times in recent years and it is are turn to have a bad time.

However Peegs will be back early August for the start of a new campaign in Division 3 which will hopefully see us up the right end of the table, I hope you chose to coem back next year to roar the lads on so we can be up at this level again.

If you have views on are relegation or any other matter leave them on the message board , also if you have a report or story send them to me at peegs_prediction_league@hotmail.com and i shall gladly put them up on the site.

F/T NOTTS COUNTY 1-0 CHELTENHAM

F/T BLACKPOOL 1-1 CHESTERFIELD

NOTTS COUNTY : Deeney, Ramsden, Fenton, Ireland, Nicholson, Allsopp, Caskey, Brough, Baraclough, Heffernan, Stallard (Francis 83)

CHELTENHAM : Higgs, Bird (Spencer 81), S.Duff, Howarth (Alsop 46), Victory, Devaney, Yates, Finnigan, McCann, Naylor, M.Duff (Brough 92)

Attendance 9,710