As expected Mike Duff started the match in attack with Neil Howarth given a surprise recall to the centre of defence. Tony Naylor was also recalled up front, with John Brough and Damian Spencer having to settle for a place on the bench.
Blackpool made a bright start and Matthew Blinkhorn broke through the Robins back line before dragging his shot wide of Shane Higgs’ goal.
Jamie Victory opened the scoring for Bobby Gould’s braves in a game they had to win. Victory headed home a Grant McCann corner from close range after losing his marker in the Blackpool area. It was full-back Victory’s second of the season and his 37th minute strike added to his already impressive tally of 37 goals for the club.
Cheltenham did not sit back after taking the lead and three minutes later Mike Duff showed exactly why he was thrown up front, scoring a fine goal and lifting the roof off Whaddon Road. Duff ran on to a through ball and held off the defender and finished with aplomb, slipping the ball around the despairing dive of ’keeper Phil Barnes. It was Duff’s second in two matches and he was the nuisance in attack that Bobby Gould hoped he would be.
Cheltenham went three up in the 65th minute and it was another picture book goal from Tony Naylor. The little striker, in his last home appearance, received the ball after good work from Devaney and Bird, turned his marker and unleashed an unstoppable shot past Barnes. It was a fitting end to Naylor’s Whaddon Road career and a goal that only he could have crafted.
The news filtered around Whaddon Road that Chesterfield had gone ahead against 9-man Bristol City and suddenly there were some worried faces in the crowd. The match fizzled out with Shane Higgs largely a spectator and the players were given rapturous applause as they did their lap of honour to mark the last home game of the season.
However, there are 90 minutes left to be played and as with so many of Cheltenham’s recent campaigns, their fate looks like it could go right down to the last kick of 46 long Division Two games.
Before the match, Martin Devaney was named Supporters’ Player of the Year, with John Finnigan scooping the Players’ and Sponsors’ awards. Starlets Shane Duff and Dave Bird shared the Young Player of the Year award