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CHELTENHAM Town might have been dispatched 5-1 by Everton in the FA Cup on Monday night but the Gloucestershire side will be bidding to extend their unbeaten League Two run at Whaddon Road to a tenth game tomorrow.

Not since mid-September, when Southend enjoyed a 3-1 victory, have Mark Yates’ men tasted defeat during a League contest in front of their own fans.

Accrington Stanley, meanwhile, are the only other side to take maximum points against the Robins on home soil, following a 3-0 triumph.

That game also represents the only time in 17 home games that Cheltenham have failed to net this term.

In fact, only Burton and Torquay can match the Robins’ record of just two home defeats while Bradford share Cheltenham’s status as the division’s most miserly defence on their own soil with both conceding just 11 times.

Last season’s play-off finalists also boast the second-highest number of clean sheets in the division with ten, placing them behind Fleetwood, who have managed 12.

Yates’ team have not been as impressive, however, at the other end of the pitch.

Despite having lost his place in the side, on-loan Bury striker Shaun Harrad remains the club’s leading marksman this season with seven goals.

Harrad is also without a League goal in 13 outings since getting on the scoresheet during a 2-1 triumph against Oxford on September 18.

Former Kidderminster boss Yates has recently been linked with a transfer window move for Swindon striker Paul Benson although his loan spell with Portsmouth does not expire until after this weekend.

The Robins currently lie just one point and one position outside the play-off zone but have only won one of their last five matches – a 4-0 home drubbing of Wycombe.

Otherwise, Cheltenham have been beaten at Oxford (1-0) and Rochdale (4-1) after sharing the spoils in a 1-1 draw with Port Vale.

Yates is set to have everybody available for tomorrow’s encounter and seems unlikely to make any changes from the team that were unlucky to be defeated so heavily against Everton although former Birmingham midfielder Darren Carter continues to nurse an ankle injury through matches.

Cheltenham (probable): Brown, Jombati, Bennett, Elliott, Jones, McGlashan, Pack, Penn, Carter, Mohamed, Goulding.


Match facts

CITY have made four previous visits to Whaddon Road all of them in Division Three (League Two) and have won once and drawn twice.

The victory was in 1999/2000 when Mark Sertori, later to play for Town, scored the only goal of the game.

The following season Lee Nogan was the marksman in a 1-1 draw and in 2001/2 City went down 4-0.

The last visit was on November 1, 2003 with Jon Parkin scoring in a 1-1 affair. The line-up was: Ovendale, Edmondson, Smith, Brass, Hope, Merris, Ward, Cooper, Bullock, Nogan, Parkin (Wood).

Along with Sertori, others to appear for both clubs include Sam McNab, Neil Grayson and Paul Brayson with John Ward the managerial link.

It happened on January 12

1935: A then record Bootham Crescent crowd of 13,612 saw First Division Derby County beat City 1-0 in the third round of the FA Cup.

1970: In a third round FA Cup replay, City drew 1-1 with Cardiff City at Ninian Park in front of 21,263. Archie Taylor was the scorer and City went on to win the second replay 3-1 at St Andrew’s in Birmingham.

1980: A 2-0 Fourth Division home win over Newport County with goals from Roy Kay and Peter Lorimer watched by 2,248.

1985: Gary Nicholson netted in a 1-0 win over Swansea City at Bootham Crescent in the Third Division (League One). The attendance was 5,544.

1991: A 1-0 victory at Bootham Crescent against Hereford United with Ray Warburton on target. The crowd for this Fourth Division encounter numbered 1,942.

2001: Lee Bullock netted in a 1-1 home draw against Torquay United in the Third Division (League Two) watched by 3,445. It was the eighth League game without a win.

Compiled by David Batters