It has been Festival week at Cheltenham Racecourse this week, the highlight being the Gold Cup. The football team from the Spa town are the visitors to the home of the St Leger, Doncaster, this afternoon. It will, of course, be their first visit to the Keepmoat Stadium and better conditions they couldn't wish for as the afternoon dawned fine and mild following a strong wind in the morning. The Rovers have signed Danny Cademarteri on loan from Leicester City to augment their strike force, which has barely functioned since Paul Heffernan got injured. He goes straight into the starting line-up, with Jonathan Forte and Adam Lockwood recalled as well. Jason Price is out with an achilles injury, with Sean Thornton and Bruce Dyer dropping down to the bench. The Rovers defended the South Stand end in the first half. Cheltenham, whose normal colours are red and white vertical stripes, turned out in an all yellow strip.

The Rovers started the brighter of the two teams as they instantly went on to the attack. However, it was 8 minutes before the first strike at goal when a long ball out of defence was picked up by Cademarteri on the Rovers left. He turned inside his marker and hit an angled shot from thirty yards high and wide of the far post. Two minutes later and a cross from the right by Green was headed wide by Wilson from 15 yards. The visitors were getting into the game now but only in midfield. Successive corners to the Rovers on the quarter hour produced no reward. On 17 minutes, Connor, for the Robins, burst through a couple of challengers but put wide of Sullivan's far post. Again, successive corners to the Rovers gained nothing. The best chance of the game came on 20 minutes when Rosa broke through on the Cheltenham right. Cutting into the Rovers penalty he shot as Sullivan came out, the keeper clutching the ball in his midriff. The match had developed into an even contest as both teams showed their attacking potential. Cademarteri put wide from 20 yards for the home team and the visitors won a corner as the half hour came up. The Robins were enjoying a good spell and took the lead on 39 minutes when sloppy play in the Rovers defence allowed GILLESPIE to nip in and slot past Sullivan for the opening goal. The visitors were pushing on and Connor went down the inside left position before feeding Rosa on the outside. He cut in along the byline before shooting from a narrow angle. Sullivan blocked at the near post for a corner to Cheltenham. A minute before the break Forte chased a bouncing ball but was being pulled back by Caines. He broke free, got to the ball before the keeper, Higgs but his lob went out for a goal kick. The referee booked Caines, who had been the last defender and pulled the play back for a free kick to the Rovers on the edge of the area. This was wasted as was a corner before the break came allowing the Rovers to go off to the loud boos of their supporters.

The Rovers brought on James O'Connor for Worley at the start of the second half and obviously stung by the half-time talk came out with all guns blazing. Attacking from the off successive corners were won but nothing came from them. On 53 minutes, Coppinger cut into the penalty area when he was barged to the floor by Caines. The referee booked Coppinger for diving!!!! Three minutes on and the visitors should have scored when Gillespie hit the woodwork with a header. The Rovers were imressive with their football, Coppinger, in particular, working prodigously down the right. Good inter-play by Green and Coppinger put Coppinger in from the right but Higgs smothered his shot. Minutes later, Forte had a crack at goal from 16 yards that took a deflection straight into the keeper's hands. It had been all Rovers since the start of the second half but good defensive work and the rub of the green kept the Rovers out. On 72 minutes, a mass of players in the Cheltenham penalty area blocked Forte's shot from 15 yards. The ball was cleared into the Rovers half for Odejayi to latch on to. The Rovers were caught short at the back after being on the attack for so long and Odejayi, the Robins top scorer, rounded Sullivan and slammed into an empty net for goal number two. Two minutes later, Gillespie won the ball on the halfway line, ran on and from 20 yards fired just wide. The Rovers continued to attack but an iron curtain for a defence prevented the Rovers even troubling Higgs to any heroics. Forte hit wide from 25 yards and Higgs saved from a thirty yarder by Green but time ran down and the Rovers were out, to a team in the relegation zone. The points were welcomed by the Robins in their fight against relegation but the Rovers hopes of a play-off place are fading fast.

Teams - ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; Adam Lockwood, Harry Worley, Graeme Lee, Sean McDaid; Paul Green, Brian Stock, Mark Wilson; James Coppinger, Danny Cademarteri, Jonathan Forte.

Subs used - James O'Connor for Worley 46 mins; Lewis Guy for Coppinger 82mins; Sean Thornton for Wilson;

Subs not used - Bruce Dyer, Barry Richardson gk.

Cheltenham Town - Shane Higgs; Jerry Gill, Shane Duff, John Finnigan, David Bird, Michael Townsend, Craig Armstrong, J J Melligan, Steve Gillespie, Paul Connor, Denes Rosa.

Subs used - Gavin Caines for Duff 31 mins; Kayode Odejayi for Connor 65 mins;

Subs not used - Damian Spencer, Michael Wylde, Scott Brown gk