THIS has been a week of delight and disappointment. The Cheltenham match was a fine occasion. Organisation within the stadium was excellent and on the field the entertainment was first-class.

Four good goals were scored and the whole game was an advertisement for a league getting stronger every season.

Cheltenham scored first and what a cruel goal it was. Rovers had dominated the first half and then allowed Danny Wright to set up the goal that put Cheltenham in the lead. Rovers won a pulsating second half 2-1 but by then the damage had been done.

The behaviour of both sets of fans was exemplary and the Cheltenham crowd certainly enjoyed the few minutes when they were top of the league. Now they know how we have been feeling all season!

Despite Saturday’s result this is where we still are but of course our lead should be greater.

Poor finishing let us down in the 1-0 defeat against Gateshead - we missed at least six clear cut chances with all our forwards at fault. However, the game started with a defensive error.

The left side of our defence went missing, allowing the otherwise anonymous James Marwood to set up Jimmy Phillips for the Gateshead goal. As with Cheltenham our defence was not sharp enough.

Gateshead did not park the bus, far from it. They played an open game and were frequently pierced by a far superior Rovers team – that is in all departments but one – goal scoring.

For once manager Ady did not get his substitutions right. Jon Parkin could have come on at half-time and should have been accompanied by Sam Wedgbury instead of Darren Carter.

Sam’s energy was a factor that was much missing, as was the leadership of David Pipe. Despite Rovers dominating so much of the game the desire to go for the jugular was missing.

One of those reasons was us – the small and quiet crowd. They need to be our noisy twelfth man.

Speaking to the Gloucestershire cricketers after the final win at Lord’s they were unanimous in saying how they were inspired by the crowd, saying how much they valued the noisy support, even when they were up against it.

The crowd did excel in two ways. Firstly the welcome given to Sam Russell when his name was announced and then in the enthusiastic applause for the life of Paul Kirby, a genuine man who lived his life as straight as the walls he built.

Now for Grimsby. Surprisingly I shall make the journey with some confidence, and not just the fish and chips. We have players good enough to win the game for us and if we can take our chances and are sharp in defence we can earn all three points.

My team for Saturday is : Maxted, Pipe, Bennett, Racine, Kelly, Marsh-Brown, Sinclair, Wedgbury, Frear, Parkin and Guthrie.

Subs: Carter, O’Connor, Jones, Clough, Jennings.

It will be far from easy but those players are good enough to earn a victory anywhere, providing the “twelfth man” plays his part. Remember “we are top of the league.” Let the team know how proud of them we are.