IS TIME running out for Cheltenham Town manager Martin Allen? writes Jon Palmer.

On paper, he has assembled a side which looks every bit capable of thriving in Coca-Cola League Two, with a wealth of experience at League One level and higher.

At the start of the season, chairman Paul Baker publicly stated that his primary aim for the season was stability and the avoidance of relegation to the Blue Square Premier would be regarded as an satisfactory season.

However, the average crowds, budget and playing talent suggest Cheltenham should be achieving much more than a 22nd-placed finish this term.

Perhaps sights have been set rather too low by some at the club, but there is no doubt Allen would have been hoping for a better opening quarter to the season than his underachieving side have served up.

The team is now Allen's own and no blame for its failings can be attributed to anyone else.

There have certainly been times when fortune has not smiled on him with regard to injuries, the most notable of which have been James Wesolowski last season and Shane Duff and Oliver Bozanic this time.

But every club is forced to cope with the loss of key members at times and the constant stream of ineffective loan signings is not conducive to stability nor a team with which the Whaddon Road faithful can empathise.

Allen had his critics last season, but the general consensus was that he would steer the Robins in the right direction after a summer of rebuilding and shrewd recruitment.

Of course, he did not have massive amounts of cash to throw at his restructuring, but he put together a group of players who appeared to be galvanised by their stay at Blandford Army Camp and fully behind their manager, which could not be said at times last season.

The early signs were encouraging as a series of unspectacular performances garnered some impressive results, with two of last season's play-off contenders, Rochdale and Bury, beaten 1-0 on their own grounds.

But in recent weeks, Cheltenham seem to have been found out and found wanting in a number of areas and their slide down the table has been steady.

For Cheltenham not to have won at home since the opening day one is a most disappointing statistic as even during their League One battles against relegation, Whaddon Road was always a difficult place for even the likes of Leeds United to come and play.

The team appears to lack cutting edge and a series of costly individual errors have cost the team dear even when performances have been adequate.

Allen has repeatedly leapt to the defence of his players, but during Friday's 2-1 home defeat by Macclesfield Town, a near full-strength side failed to deliver the goods and dwelling in the lower reaches of League Two is not good enough.

Elvis Hammond's second-half strike set up an interesting finale as Cheltenham piled on the pressure, but with the exception of Julian Alsop's cameo, Keith Alexander's men looked relatively comfortable after Ricky Sappleton and John Rooney put them 2-0 up.

The unthinkable is for Cheltenham to lose the League status they waited more than 100 years to achieve in 1999 and if results to do not improve quickly, something will have to be done before it is too late.

Marley Watkins is the only professional at the club contracted for next season and the future is uncertain for both Allen and Cheltenham.

CHELTENHAM TOWN: S Brown; H Eyjolfsson (J Alsop 56) M Townsend, D Diallo, L Ridley (J Low 11); D Bird, M Pook. A Gallinagh, F Artus (T Lewis 79); J Richards, E Hammond. Subs not used: D Hutton, T Denton, R Rose, B Richardson.

MACCLESFIELD: J Brain; I Reid, S Brisley, N Brown, C Tremarco; E Sinclair, L Bell, H Bencherif, C Daniel; J Rooney (R Draper 74), R Sappleton (B Wright 74). Subs not used: S Reed, K Wilson, J Veiga, P Bolland, M Tipton.

REFEREE: D J Phillips.

ATTENDANCE: 2,930 (107).

STAR MAN: David Bird.