FL2: Torquay Utd v Cheltenham 22 March 2011

So, we are up to fourth then, and although there was a bit of a sweat on in the final minutes, we were very good value for the three points tonight.

Looking at the Cheltenham side before the game, I was expecting a really tough test, but to be honest I think we had a harder game at Barnet than we did this evening - the Robins really were flightless birds in front of a disappointing crowd of 2,186 that took a lot of time to get any atmosphere going.

Jake Robinson tested Brown with a low shot in the early couple of minutes and Torquay had an early goal chalked off when Robertson was adjudged (correctly) to have fouled a defender as he nodded home a Nicholson corner.

Murray, who was very impressive on my first viewing, went close to a first goal for the club when his swerving and dipping 20-yarder was tipped away from the top corner by a full-length Brown dive.

But the goal that had been threatening to come did arrive in the 28th minute when Stanley knocked over a corner from the left and Branston got in ahead of his marker to power a header past Brown from about eight yards, beating plenty of defenders on the way.

Cheltenham had a brief spell of pressure for a couple of minutes with Matt Green, who was simply awful, turning and screwing a shot just wide and Wes Thomas hitting the side netting from close range.

But their midfield was completely ineffective, with Stanley and Lathrope both impressing, most notably the latter who ran all night and played an excellent foil to some of Stanley's more attacking promptings. No surprise though to see Stanley named man of the match for another all-action display that means memories of Nicky Wroe fade quicker and quicker.

Low and Artus were played out of the game by the full backs and it was no real surprise when Jake Thomson came on to provide a little pace - he did have an effect, but still most of his second-half play came to nothing with some predictably inconsistent final balls into the box.

Brown came to the rescue for Cheltenham early in the second period as Tomlin, who also performed well in spurts, fired a shot in low from 25 yards and saw it tipped around the post.

Zebroski flashed a volley into the directors box and Robinson twice cut in from the left to test Brown with cross-shots before Goulding volleyed over from 10 yards on a rare Robins break.

But the deserved second goal came with 20 minutes left to play, with Mansell marauding down the right and his cross eventually fell for Murray off a defender's poor attempted clearance, the Ipswich loanee having an easy task to prod home his volley from close range.

The Gulls went on to produce some of their best football of the night in the next 10 minutes, Zebroski missing by inches from 20 yards and Stanley volleying wide at the end of the best move I have seen us put together in years, pass after short pass ending with the shooting chance.

But then the almost inevitable late heartache - Kee, just on, was pulled up for a foul and Andrew's free-kick seemed to have been dealt with by Bevan, but he palmed it down into the ground and it squirmed under his body to set up a grandstand finale.

Thankfully there were no huge scares in the final minute and four extra minutes and the three points were ours, moving us above Rotherham, Shrewsbury and Gillingham into the dizzy heights of fourth with eight games left on the calendar.

Ratings:
Bevan 5 - worries me, stuck to his line and error for the goal.
Mansell 7 - good defending, assist for the goal and a great leader
Nicho 7 - solid, dealt well with Low who was quiet
Robertson 9 - my MOTM. Won just about every header, made some great interventions.
Branston 8 - excellent as well, although a couple of slips when he was rescued by Robbo
Stanley 8 - just does everything with the minimum of fuss.
Lathrope 7 - really solid. Can see why he is getting a chance to shine
Robinson 7 - excellent first half, second half faded a little. Constant threat
Zebroski 7 - ran all night, chased down lost causes, deserved a goal
Murray 8 - impressive. Drops deep, good pace, awareness, got the goal he deserved.
Tomlin 6 - flitted in and out a bit, but no real big criticisms.

Subs: O'Kane did well, Kee put himself about, Stevens did little.

All in all a good night out and well deserved three points, and nice to see Dave, Chelston, Barton and Jon.