After early morning rain, the afternoon turned fine and with the pitch looking in fine fettle a good match was anticipated. Both teams are together just into the lower half of the table so the points gained today are very important. Certainly the Rovers need to win today following their rather unlucky loss at Southend last week. The team revert to four at the back and an extra forward, James Hayter, coming in for Gordon Greer. The Rovers defended the South Stand end in the first half.

The Rovers kicked off and immediately won a corner on the right. This was cleared but the Rovers intentions were clear also. Passing the ball aound well their first effort on goal came after 5 minutes when Stock finished off a good move with a shot from an angle on the right, which Higgs was well positioned to save. On 9 minutes, the home team won a corner on the right due to the persistence of O'connor after chasing down down a lost cause. Lockwood's header flashed across goal and out the other side. Two minutes later, Cheltenham gained their first corner, which Caines headed over. Back came the Rovers, with Hayter and O'Connor combining well before Hayter got in a shot that Higgs saved. Then Wilson had a left footer from 25 yards saved before the visitors cleared their lines and got a throw in halfway into the Rovers half. This caused problems in the Rovers six yard area before Gareth Roberts headed out for a corner. On 18 minutes, the Rovers made the breakthrough when Stock played GUY in down the middle. He rounded the keeper and shot in from an angle to the right of goal.Cheltenham then attacked down their left, with Myrie-Williams getting past two Rovers men on the byline but Sullivan was able to smother the ball when it was pulled back. On 22 minutes, Stock, in midfield, put Guy away down the Rovers left. He got into the penalty area but his shot was blocked the ball coming out to Stock.  His fierce drive was also blocked and the ball ball fell to Guy to the left of goal and with his back to goal. his overhead effort was wide. The Rovers dominance from hereon was almost total, the only breaks for the hard pressed visiting defence coming just past the half hour when Bird won the ball halfway in his own half and then went on a fifty yard run before shooting wide as he was challenged by Lockwood. Despite playing some good football the Rovers hadn't troubled Higgs, in the visiting goal, too much during this period. As the last five minutes came up Cheltenham won a free kick halfway in the Rovers half on the right touchline. Gill put the ball in for Townsend to get in a terrific header that Sullivan managed to tip over for a corner.  Two minutes from time Finnigan tried his luck from 30 yards but Sullivan was equal to the task of saving it. The interval came with the Rovers on the attack and leading by the single goal.

The Rovers made a substitution after the break, with Sean McDaid coming on for Gareth Roberts. The visitors started the brighter, with Sullivan twice called into action in the opening minutes before the Rovers had to defend a couple of corners. Five minutes in and the Rovers got into the game but it was the visitors who put in another meaningful attack. A corner from their left was pulled back to Finnigan, who crossed to the far post where Sullivan managed to tip it away for a corner. The Rovers had now warmed up and on 57 minutes Guy crossed from the right byline, which Higgs tipped away for a corner. Stock swung in the corner from the right for MILLS to ram a powerful diving header into the net for a second goal. Once again the Rovers took command of the game. Wilson fired wide from 25 yards, a through ball from Wilson put Heffernan in on goal but Higgs blocked his shot then a good run by Wellens down the left and along the left byline brought a great pass to the middle but there were no takers and the Rovers then forced four successive corners, the last of which brought a shot from Heffernan that took a deflection, which wrong footed the keeper leaving Myrie-Williams to clear off the line. A cross from the left was headed wide by Hayter before he linked up with Wellens and Guy to fire wide. All this over a ten minutes period.Continuing to push on, a through ball for Heffernan was scooped over the advancing keeper and the bar. Ten minutes from time, the visitors broke the shackles when Bird crossed from the left but Spencer with a good look at goal let the ball skim off the top of his head and the chance was missed. Connor hit the bar minutes later but the Rovers hit back through Green, who linked up with Heffernan before hammering in a drive that Higgs could only beat out. Time was called on an excellent win for the Rovers, which should see them climb into the top half of the table.

Teams - ROVERS - Neil Sullivan; James O'Connor, Matt Mills, Adam Lockwood, Gareth Roberts; Lewis Guy, Richie Wellens, Brian Stock, Mark Wilson; James Hayter, Paul Heffernan.

Subs used - Sean McDaid for Gareth Roberts 46 mins; Paul Green for Guy 78 mins;Steve Roberts for Stock 83 mins;

Subs not used - Jason Price, James Coppinger.

Cheltenham Town - Shane Higgs; Jerry Gill, Lee Ridley, Gavin Caines, Michael Townsend, John Finnigan, Damien Spencer, David Bird, Andy Lindegaard, Ashley Vincent, Jennison Myrie-Williams.

Subs used - Andy Gallinagh for Ridley 69 mins; Paul Connor for Lindegaard 69 mins; Adam Connolly for Finnigan 78 mins;

Subs not used - Sosthene Yao, Scott P Brown gk