Robins crush cup hopes in crazy finale (From Stroud News and Journal)

Robins crush cup hopes in crazy finale

Gloucestershire Senior Challenge Cup Forest Green 1, Cheltenham Town 5 FOUR goals in a dramatic eight-minute spell right at the end of the contest sent Forest Green tumbling out of the Gloucestershire Senior Challenge Cup in this eventful quarter-final clash last week.

Until the 81st minute when Cheltenham striker Luke Corbett grabbed his second goal with a simple tap-in, Rovers had more than held their own in an entertaining clash between two sides who were way below full-strength.

But with Rovers rather embarrassingly reduced to ten men when defender Steve Jenkins went off with a broken nose, having used all their available substitutes bar their replacement keeper Steve Perrin, Corbett's goal opened the floodgates.

Rovers, who had defended resolutely until then and even pulled back Corbett's 33rd minute opener when a fine move between Steve Cowe and Jon Richardson gave Steve Tweddle the chance to flick home a sweet 57th minute header, fell apart in the last ten minutes.

Within two minutes of setting up Corbett's second, teenage winger Richard Kear had side-footed Cheltenham's third with the Forest Green defence in chaos, and then the powerful Damian Spencer made it 4-1 with a fine solo goal, taking a pass from David Bird to exploit acres of space on the left before neatly side-stepping Australian keeper Chris Giannangelo to slot the ball home.

Giannangelo, in his first senior outing since signing a contract for the club, must have wondered what was going on in front of him by that stage and he was left bemused by Cheltenham's final strike in the 88th minute. Bird made 20 yards unchallenged in midfield before unleashing a 30-yard rocket which flew beyond the keeper to settle the issue in sizzling style.

Until that amazing finale Rovers had played some neat, controlled football and had a number of chances to win the game themselves before collapsing in disarray just when it seemed likely that a penalty shoot-out would be required.