Unique Magazine September 2014

UNIQUE Cheltenham Sport
Review on Cheltenham
Pre-season predictions are seldom much to go
by in football, but Mark Yates and his coaching
staff would have nailed this picture (below) on the
wall before their campaign started in League 2.
FourFourTwo predicted Yates’ men to finish
bottom of the table, it differed to my prediction
of a top half finish - also in the August edition of
FourFourTwo.
Nonetheless, it was a summer upheaval; many
players who ended the 2013/2014 in a Robins
shirt are no longer at Whaddon Road, with Yates
bringing in several signings over the summer to
start a new and mould a new squad at Whaddon
Road.
So far so good for Yates and his Cheltenham
Town side – in four games played so far this
season, the Robins remain unbeaten – winning
their first game away at Bury 1-0; 2-1 in their first
home game of the season against Accrington
Stanley, 0-0 against Carlisle United and in their
last away game, Yates’ side came from two-nil
down to win 3-2 against Tranmere Rovers at
Prenton Park.
The summer re-moulding has involved match
winning performances from the majority of the
summer signings, including their new goalkeeper
and attacking players.
Robins legend Scott Brown moved to Scottish
Premier League side Aberdeen, the goalkeeper
position had to be filled, resulting in Yates opting
for Trevor Carson from Bury. The 26-year old has
already made an impact in between the sticks,
keeping two clean-sheets in four league games
and making a host of brilliant saves to keep
Cheltenham Town in the game against all four
sides they have played this campaign. His save
from Bury’s Jason Poole in the dying minutes of
the game got the Robins off to the perfect start,
and has since kept up his fine form – helping
the Robins start their season unbeaten in four
games.
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