Finishing line is in sight

CHELTENHAM Town are within touching distance of their first automatic promotion as a Football League club.

While they still have work to do, a victory over Colchester United at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium for Michael Duff’s side this afternoon would put them on the verge of securing a topthree finish in League Two.

Five points from their final four fixtures would make it a mathematical certainty, but owing to their superior goal difference, it is likely that four will be sufficient.

And what would make that achievement more remarkable is that Cheltenham have only the 17th highest budget out of the 24 teams in the fourth tier.

Marshalled by financial director Clive Gowing, the club has spent within its means and they were not forced to cut their cloth last summer, when many others did, pushing them slightly higher up the table in terms of their wage bill standing.

They are still punching well above their weight, however, along with Morecambe, who are believed to have the lowest budget in the fourth tier, yet find themselves in the hunt for automatic promotion ahead of a crunch clash with former Premier League outfit Bolton Wanderers at the Mazuma Stadium on Saturday.

Current leaders Cambridge, who need one win from three to guarantee a top-three finish, are also exceeding expectations in terms of where they lie in the financial stakes.

Cheltenham have benefitted from the sale of Ryan Broom this season, after the attacking midfielder left to join Peterborough for £150,000 last August. The club was on course to make a loss of around £1 million due to the absence of crowds amid the Covid pandemic, but a memorable FA Cup adventure, culminating in a televised home fourth round tie against Manchester City, means the club is not far from breaking even.

Meanwhile, boss Michael Duff is unconcerned that midweek matchwinner George Lloyd is yet to score a League goal at the Jonny-Rocks Stadium, netting all of his fourth-tier goals away from home.

Duff said: “That’s just one of those random facts that you lot (the media) make up. He has scored two cup goals at home this year.

“People can spin things different types of way. You are unbeaten in five when you’ve drawn five, or you’ve not won in five.

“George is a good player and he’s created good chances. I was really pleased for him. He got himself into that position and finished it off.”

Nick Potts/PA George Lloyd was Cheltenham Town’s match-winner on Tuesday evening