Cheltenham Town FC

Danny Wright's ninth league goal of the season was enough for Cheltenham to beat Altrincham 1-0 at The World of Smile Stadium.

Wright coolly dispatched a penalty on the 56th minute after Harry Pell was bundled over in the box.

The Robins are four points clear at the top of the National League table following Saturday's result.

The opening five minutes provided little for either sets of fans to get excited about but on the sixth minute the Robins were the width of the crossbar away from being in front. Billy Waters broke free of his marker outside the box but his rising shot at the near post rattled the woodwork.

Danny Wright's turn and shot inside the box was blocked by Scott Leather shortly after with penalty claims aplenty waived away by referee Adam Bromley.

Ryan Crowther got Altrincham's first shot on target in the ninth minute when his low bobbling shot from outside of the box was gathered low down by Dillon Phillips.

Michael Rankine's dipping shot from a tight angle in the 19th minute forced Dillon Phillips to push the ball over the crossbar on the stretch- the resulting corner was then cleared away.

Cheltenham struggled to carve out many clear cut chances in the opening 20 minutes as Altrincham's defence dealt with both Wright and Waters.

The Robins did go close to taking the lead on the half hour mark but Munns' shot first then Pell's both were blocked by a resolute Altrincham defence. Waters had another opportunity to break the deadlock and get his 12th league goal of the season but his shot from just outside the box went high over the bar.

James Lawrie found himself unmarked six yards out but his close-range effort was impressively blocked by a sliding-in Daniel Parslow to force a corner.

Shortly after, Michael Rankine could have put Alty in front- again unmarked, but further out, the striker's shot went just wide of Dillon Phillips' left post. The Cheltenham defence looked far from the one that had played a pivotal part in notching up an 11 game unbeaten run in the league prior to the match.

Minutes before half-time Danny Wright's goal-bound header was saved low by Tim Deasy after a floated-in ball from Ryan Jennings. With most of the football being played in the air, neither side could grab a stronghold on the game when Adam Bromley blew for half time.  

Seconds into the second half and Billy Waters again could have made it 1-0. Jack Munns' initial shot was blocked but housemate Waters blazed over the rebound from just inside the box.

Shortly after, Altrincham kept the ball out in the almightiest of goal mouth scrambles- Pell, Wright and Waters all had efforts blocked from metres out as Cheltenham began to ramp up the pressure.

On the 52nd minute Danny Wright's glancing header was deflected out for a corner after a dangerous ball from Kyle Storer, however Alty, again, dealt with the resulting corner and cleared away.

On the 56th minute, Harry Pell was fouled in the box by centre-half Gianluca Havern and without hesitation Adam Bromley pointed to the spot. Danny Wright, calm as ever, stepped up and dispatched the penalty into the net to grab his ninth league goal of the season.

In search of his first Cheltenham goal, Ryan Jennings hit a spectacular volley from 25 yards out on the 64th minute, but it went just wide of Tim Deasy's goal.

James Dayton and Andrija Novakovich took the places of Jack Munns and Billy Waters on the 73rd minute as Cheltenham decided to go with two big men up top for the last twenty minutes of the game.

And it was Dayton who stopped Altrincham from equalising, the ball fell to Jordan Sinnott 25 yards out but his driving shot was blocked by the knee of the winger on the line.

With few real chances in the final minutes, Cheltenham saw out the game comfortably and continued their unbeaten streak in the league to 12 games.  

Cheltenham Town: Phillips, Barthram, Downes (c), Parslow, McLennan, Jennings (J. Rowe 85'), Storer, Pell, Munns (Dayton 73'), Wright, Waters (Novakovich 73')

Subs not used: Kitscha (Gk) N. Rowe

Altrincham: Deasy, Griffin, Moult, Havern (c), Leather, Lawrie, Richman, Rankine, Reeves (Bowerman 79'), Crowther (Clee 66'), Sinnott

Subs not used: Williams (Gk), Heathcote, Cain

Referee: Adam Bromley

Attendance: 2591 (54 Away)