Report: Macclesfield 0-1 Cheltenham
Macclesfield Town FC 0 Cheltenham Town FC 1
Branagan; Halls, McCombe, Byrne, Turnbull, Holroyd, Sampson, Rowe, Fitzpatrick, Whitaker, Styche. SUBS: Jalal, Cowan, Dennis, Diagne, Sutherland.
Flatt; Dickie Parslow Burgess Cranston; Barthram Storer Pell Dayton; Waters Holman. SUBS: Kitscha, Morgan-Smith, Munns, Hall, Rowe.
A first half strike from Dan Holman was enough to seal all three points as Cheltenham moved a win away from bringing up 100 points.
The newly-crowned Champions travelled to Moss Rose in their penultimate game of the season looking to show why they’ve been the best team all season.
Boss Johnson made three changes from the side that beat Halifax the week before, with returns for Pell, Waters and Cranston in place of Hall, Morgan-Smith and McLennan respectively.
The opening 15 minutes were quiet with neither side able to get into the game. Dayton and Parslow had efforts each as the Robins looked to control possession.
The deadlock was finally broken when Dan Holman received the ball on the edge of the box from Dayton and fired home to notch his 29thleague goal of the season.
It was a clinical finish from a man in form. Cheltenham began to control the game as Macclesfield struggled to find any sort of rhythm to their play.
Holroyd had Macclesfield’s best chance of the half which was blocked by Burgess, and on the stroke of half-time Burgess fired over as the Robins pressed for a second.
Macclesfield started the second half with intent as they attempted to get back into the game with Danny Rowe firing just wide.
Sampson somehow failed to get anything on Danny Rowe’s cross-cum-shot after he dispossessed Storer, as Cheltenham rode their luck with slack defending.
Cheltenham’s first substitutions of the game brought James Rowe and Amari Morgan-Smith on in place of Jordan Cranston and Billy Waters.
Rowe moved to a right wing back position with Barthram moving to left wing back as Cheltenham changed into a 3-5-2 formation.
Neill Byrne’s looping header nearly brought the Silkmen an equaliser but fortunately for the Robins it landed on top of the net.
Munns replaced the dangerous Dayton as Cheltenham’s last change with 20 minutes left on the clock.
Barthram fouled Holroyd right on the edge of the box earning a yellow card, but Dennis' effort was comfortably saved by Flatt.
Cheltenham broke away right at the end, only for Holman's shot to be blocked on the line and Harry Pell to scuff his effort over.
The full-time whistle went, bringing up the Robins' 29th win of the league campaign.