Hard work clearing snow pays off for Cheltenham as Bantams melt under pressure

Cheltenham had worked their socks off to make sure there was a game at last. Their efforts were rewarded handsomely.

But for the Bantams, it was the worst possible return to this stop-start campaign.

Nothing went their way on a miserable afternoon which ended with the heaviest scoreline in Peter Taylor’s reign.

In truth, there weren’t four goals between the sides, despite Cheltenham’s domination in terms of shots.

City can point to a disallowed effort at a key time but they could have no complaints that the best team won.

The piles of snow stacked along the side of the pitch showed how hard the home side had worked to get the game on.

An army of volunteers had answered their rallying call the day before to clear the surface which, although a bit spongey on top, was still a credit to that slog.

Gareth Evans got his first start since breaking his wrist against Morecambe three months ago. Jason Price, the other change from the Hereford win last time out, wore the skipper’s armband – the seventh different captain of the season.

Shane Duff had made the trip down to the club he served for a decade but was not included in the squad. There was also no Omar Daley, who had not travelled.

Evans lined up in an advanced role on the right, with James Hanson doing the same on the left to support Price down the middle.

Cheltenham probed early on with captain Michael Pook firing over and Wesley Thomas forcing a low, straight-forward save from Lenny Pidgeley.

The City keeper was left grasping thin air when Brian Smikle’s powerful drive took the slightest deflection off course. And the Bantams had a real let-off from the corner as Steve Elliott caught them off guard at the far post but missed the target from a couple of yards.

City were under the cosh but almost conjured a 13th-minute opener through Price’s persistence in the penalty area. He wrestled the ball off Keith Lowe and cut it back invitingly to Evans, who shifted the ball on to his left foot, which gave Elliott the time to block the shot.

Tom Adeyemi then threaded a excellent pass to send Hanson clear. Keeper Scott Brown was quickly on to him and forced the big man to square to David Syers, but Smikle had tracked back to get there first.

They were two moments of encouragement for City after an uncomfortable opening. But then Luke Oliver put Syers under pressure in his own half and he was easily dispossessed to set up another menacing Cheltenham attack.

Thomas, who was proving to be a handful, got round the back of Oliver on the byline but, fortunately, City had enough numbers back to deflect Smikle’s shot away.

Adeyemi responded by blasting well over the bar from Price’s knockdown.

Cheltenham came again, with JJ Melligan powering down the right flank to whip in a cross. Thomas held off Rob Kiernan and was set to pull the trigger – only to be thwarted by a thundering tackle from Oliver.

But Cheltenham’s pressure paid off after 31 minutes with a fortunate – but warranted – opening goal.

Lowe worked the ball into Thomas, who tried to resist Oliver long enough to get off his shot. Instead the loose ball fell for his strike partner Jeff Goulding, whose shot took a big deflection off Kiernan to leave Pidgeley totally wrong-footed.

Things got worse for City four minutes later. Marlon Pack caught Tommy Doherty napping to reach Richard Eckersley’s weak header and thumped an unstoppable 25-yarder past the helpless Pidgeley.

City had the chance to atone themselves but Oliver and Hanson went for the same header from a free-kick and a good opportunity went begging.

Eckersley tried to make up for his own part in the second goal with a barnstorming run out of defence. But his shot from well over 30 yards was far too ambitious.

Evans fired a cross into the crowd as the half-time whistle sounded – which just about summed up the way it had gone for the visitors.

City appeared back out five minutes early for the restart, with Junior Lewis putting the players through an impromptu training routine and then delivering a team-talk.

Lee Hendrie was thrown on for Adeyemi but the comeback bid would have been killed off within a minute but for the reflexes of Pidgeley. The City keeper reacted superbly to turn away Danny Andrew’s low free-kick that was arrowing for the bottom corner.

As City looked for a way back, Brown twice confidently punched away promising crosses under pressure from white jerseys.

The Bantams thought they had pegged one back ten minutes in from a well-worked set-piece. Hanson’s nod down was turned in by Syers, whose joy at scoring again was immediately dashed by the assistant’s flag for offside.

And they got no favours from the same official from their next attack as Price’s claim that his shirt was being pulled was ignored.

But it was better stuff from City and a drive from Evans proved too hot for Brown to handle as he spilled it behind for a corner. It was good pressure but it needed a goal.

The game was opening up and City had to be wary of leaving the back door open against the pace of Thomas.

City were throwing more bodies forward and Luke O’Brien began popping up in the penalty area. But it was too frantic at times and Hanson and Hendrie got in each other’s way as the sub fashioned another shot. Cheltenham then showed them how it should be done with a killer third midway through the half.

It was harsh on Pidgeley, who pulled off a blinding point-blank block to deny Martin Riley from Lowe’s corner, but the loose ball popped up into a scrum of players and Goulding forced home his second of the afternoon.

City continued to have a go – only for Cheltenham to stretch their lead with a clinical finish from Thomas.

The striker fully deserved his goal, collecting a pass inside from Smikle and turning to fire into the bottom corner from 18 yards.

Thomas still had the appetite for more, working another opening before scuffing it wide. That was his final involvement as he left the action to a standing ovation.

City almost grabbed a late consolation when Oliver’s header bounced off the post, back off Elliott and straight into Brown’s arms. Nothing was going their way.