CHELTENHAM TOWN produced a much improved performance to push

Premier League Stoke City all the way in the Carling Cup second

round last night.

After a tight first half, Glenn Whelan and Richard Cresswell

put Stoke on course with two goals in three minutes shortly

after half-time.

Ashley Vincent quickly restored hope for the Robins

with his first goal of the season, but Jon Parkin’s made it

3-1.

Alex Russell's strike at the death gave the scoreline a more

respectable look, but there was barely time for Stoke to

kick-off before the final whistle blew.

The main consolation for Cheltenham was that they produced

an altogether more acceptable display than they had in

their 4-0 league drubbing at Oldham Athletic on Saturday.

Keith Downing made four changes and switched to a 4-4-2

formation, with Ben Gill, Craig Armstrong, Andy Lindegaard and

Paul Connor replacing Andy Gallinagh, injured pair Dean

Sinclair and Jennison Myrie-Williams, and the ineligible Barry

Hayles.

Stoke’s line-up contained only one player who started their

first ever Premier League victory against Aston Villa at the

weekend in left-back Carl Dickinson.

The Potters have a reputation for their strength and direct

style, but what was effectively their reserve team passed the

ball well on the pristine Whaddon Road surface.

Giant striker Parkin was a handful alongside the equally

imposing Vincent Pericard, but the Robins’ defensive stability

and organisation returned as they restricted Stoke to

predominantly speculative efforts early on.

Defender Ryan Shawcross fired their first opening straight

at Shane Higgs in the eighth minute.

Pericard had the ball in the net after 35 minutes, but his

effort was disallowed for offside and Cresswell shot wide three

minutes before half-time.

Cheltenham competed well without the ball, but never really

looked capable of hurting Stoke.

When goalkeeper Steve Simonsen flapped at Alan Wright’s

cross during first half stoppage time, Ben Gill almost stole in

at the far post, but Dickinson made an important

intervention.

Simonsen stretched to palm away Vincent’s cross-shot in the

first minute of the second period but Stoke took the lead in

the 51st minute.

Shane Duff fouled Pericard 20 yards out and Whelan curled

the resulting free-kick over the Robins’ defensive wall and

into the top right corner.

Stoke’s second looked like it had killed the game off three

minutes later.  Simonsen’s long clearance was flicked on

by Pericard and fell to Cresswell, who beat Jerry Gill and

calmly slotted past Higgs immediately after Cheltenham had been

calling for a penalty at the other end.

The tie appeared to be settled, but Vincent restored hope

for Cheltenham in the 57th minute, capitalising on an error by

Lewis Buxton, racing through on goal and scoring via the foot

of the left post.

Any hopes of a cup upset were ended in the 78th minute when

Danny Pugh’s cross was dispatched clinically by Parkin, who had

lost his marker Wright in the penalty area.

There was a surprise return for Gavin Caines, who was pushed

up front after six months out with a knee injury.

Russell smashed home after Aaron Ledgister's pass deep into

stoppage time, but 1972 League Cup winners Stoke progressed

safely.

CHELTENHAM TOWN: S Higgs; J Gill, S Duff (A Gallinagh 61), M

Townsend, A Wright; B Gill (G Caines 78), C Armstrong, A

Russell, A Lindegaard; A Vincent (A Ledgister 88), P

Connor.   Subs not used: S P A Brown, L Ridley, J

Emery, M Watkins.

STOKE CITY: S Simonsen; A Wilkinson, R Shawcross, L Buxton,

C Dickinson (D Phillips 79); A Wilkinson (R Shotton 90), G

Whelan, S Diao  (D Matteo 75), D Pugh; J Parkin, V

Pericard.  Subs not used:  R De Laat, J Phillips, M

Wedderburn.

REFEREE: D Deadman (Cambridgeshire).

ATTENDANCE: 3, 600 (562 from Stoke).

STAR MAN: Craig Armstrong.