BATTLING CITY DELIGHT YATES
CHELTENHAM Town manager Mark Yates insisted the way his side finished their draw at York City has filled him with encouragement ahead of the season run-in.
The Robins are still waiting for their first win of 2014, but they battled to register a third successive draw, defending solidly and then having a go at York.
“I actually enjoyed the last half an hour after we’d battled and scrapped in awful conditions,” Yates said.
“We showed resilience and dug in, but in the last part of the game we played with enjoyment and freedom, counter attacking really well so perhaps we could have nicked it.
“We had some good passages of play, which gives us something to look at in the coming months.
“It wasn’t free-flowing football, but you have to do what is necessary and it’s a good point for us.
“There were positives against the wind, getting it down and passing it. We dealt with their threat well and I am pleased with the clean sheet.
“It’s pleasing to come here, against some lively players and stand firm.”
York skipper Russ Penn admitted it was a strange feeling to take on his old team mates, having made the switch from Cheltenham for a five-figure fee in January.
The midfielder was shown a yellow card in the tenth minute, but went on to dominate proceedings in the centre of the pitch.
“It was a weird situation and my little boy didn’t know which team I was playing for!” Penn said.“It was good to see the lads and a good point for both teams in difficult conditions.
“I was worried after the yellow card and I thought Jermaine McGlashan had a good game for Chelteham because he was everywhere and he got tripped about eight times.
“I had to take the booking and then it was about keeping my head.
“We had more of the chances, but Cheltenham had some too and defences were on top mainly. Scott Brown had a good game in goal for them and we are disappointed not to have won it, but in the end it’s a good point.
“I didn’t have anything to prove, I had a bad stage at Cheltenham and sometimes that’s how it goes.
“It’s a new chapter in my career now, I am enjoying it here and long may it continue.”
Brown made a fine double save to keep out Michael Coulson’s free-kick in the 44th minute, recovering quickly to block Ryan Bowman’s follow-up effort.
Coulson’s corner was nodded against his own bar by Ihiek we in the 49th minute as York pressed with the wind in their favour after half-time. Brown turned Josh Carson’s free-kick over the bar in the 55th minute, but Cheltenham finished on top.
McGlashan missed a good chance after being set up by Byron Harrison in the 64th minute and he drove another effort wide four minutes later as honours finished even.