CHELTENHAM TOWN 0 CHESTERFIELD 1

CHELTENHAM Town's inability to put the ball in the net returned to haunt them once again on Saturday, as their plight at the wrong end of the Football League deepened.

The Robins produced a much improved performance and struck the crossbar three times against a Chesterfield side gunning for automatic promotion, but they still ended the afternoon with nothing to show for their efforts and the alarm bells are ringing loudly.

The Robins' third defeat in a row left them four points clear of the relegation zone after Grimsby Town finally ended a 25-match winless run with a 3-0 home victory over Shrewsbury Town to close the gap.

Boss Mark Yates is aiming to add a proven goalscorer to his ranks this week in a bid to give his misfiring side more of a goal threat and chances need to start being taken before it is too late.

Yates rested Julian Alsop, so leading scorer Justin Richards was recalled to partner Barry Hayles in attack.

Richards went close to opening the scoring in the 20th minute as he lifted Hayles' flick-on from Lee Ridley's long throw against the top of the bar, with goalkeeper Tommy Lee beaten.

New boy Medy Elito showed some flashes of skill and pace on the left wing for Cheltenham, but Chesterfield, who had won six of their previous seven games, looked a well organised team, with flair on both flanks coming from the eye-catching Simon Whaley and Adam Rundle.

Cheltenham's other debutant, right-back Aaron Lescott from Bristol Rovers, conceded the penalty from which Barry Conlon scored the only goal of the game.

A combination of Lescott and Ashley Eastham brought Wade Small down in the box and Conlon sent Brown the wrong way from the spot.

It was tough on Cheltenham, who defended well for the majority of the match with Michael Townsend strengthening the back four on his return from a groin injury.

They almost levelled shortly after the interval when midfielder Matt Thornhill rattled the crossbar in the 48th minute after Elito's cross was cleared to him inside the penalty area as Cheltenham pressed.

Scott Brown saved Whaley's swerving free-kick and pushed another effort from the same player around his left post.

At the other end, Richards headed tamely at Lee from Josh Low's cross.

Yates sent Alsop on in place of Hayles in the 63rd minute in a bid to unsettle Chesterfield's central defenders Rob Page and Ian Breckin, who had looked in total control.

It did not take Alsop long to make a difference and Richards' pull-back was met with a well-struck drive from Michael Pook which Lee fell on awkwardly but managed to keep out.

Cheltenham hit the woodwork for an agonising third time in the 83rd minute when Low released Elito on the left and his cross was nodded against the bar by Alsop, with Thornhill's follow-up header hacked to safety as Chesterfield were pinned in their own half.

It would have secured Cheltenham Football League goalscoring record, with the man whose record he has equalled – Martin Devaney – watching from the stands.

The Robins have never scored against the Spireites at Whaddon Road, or beaten them anywhere, so it was perhaps unsurprising that the breakthrough never arrived and the pressure is mounting with a trip to Burton Albion on Saturday.

Cheltenham Town: S Brown; A Lescott, M Townsend, A Eastham, L Ridley (M Watkins 82); J Low, M Pook, M Thornhill, M Elito; B Hayles (J Alsop 63), J Richards. Subs not used: S Duff, A Gallinagh, D Hutton, W Puddy, D Andrew.

Chesterfield: T Lee; D Gray, R Page, I Breckin, A Goodall; S Whaley, M Allott, D Niven, A Rundle; B Conlon (G Madine 90), W Small (S Boden 76). Subs not used: K Austin, D Boshell, M Crossley, A Whing, C Clay.

Referee: A D'Urso.

Attendance: 3,006 (402 from Chesterfield).