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The Bulls travel to Whaddon Road on Tuesday night for the first of three successive matches against sides below them in the table.
The two sides, for all the supposed rivalry, have rarely faced each other on the football field. Cheltenham wins are almost as rare, with just one win from the seven so far and four wins for the Bulls. On each trip to Whaddon Road the Bulls have scored at least twice, with last February's 3-2 win completing a double over the Robins thanks to Man Utd - with a Sam Hewson brace and Febian Brandy's early strike outwitting Martin Allen's masterplan to cripple the Bulls' defences. On that day Dean Beckwith, Josh Gowling, and Karl Broadhurst were all taken off injured in barely ten minutes of action.
The arrival of Mark Yates at Whaddon Road has not seen a dramatic turn in fortunes, with just two wins from eleven games in his two months in charge and cutting down the Bulls' lead on them by just a single point. Yates' transfer activity is just as stifled by financial problems as his predecessor, with his only signings a pair of youngsters from the Championship and a contract extension for semi-retired greengrocer Julian Alsop. His former Kidderminster charge Justin Richards heads the goalscoring with eight, while veterans Barry Hayles (6) and Alsop (3) are still keeping their zimmer frames oiled for the relegation fight.
For the Bulls it is a game they must not lose against a side just four points behind them. After conceding ten goals without reply in the last three and a half hours, a goal of any sort would be most welcome to Bulls fans. Gavin McCallum earned praise from Notts County fans for his work and creativity on Saturday and should continue his good vein of form. With John Trewick deciding whether to appeal Paul Downing's dismissal on Saturday, and the thoughts of last season's physical battle, he may prefer to go for the experience and no-nonsense style that Ryan Green and Darren Jones would bring.
Cheltenham Town vs Hereford United, Whaddon Road, Tuesday 2nd March, 7.45pm.
