National League
CheltenhamCheltenham Town2HalifaxFC Halifax Town0

Cheltenham Town 2-0 FC Halifax Town

Cheltenham players mobbed by fans

Cheltenham Town sealed promotion back to the Football League at the first attempt after beating FC Halifax Town to clinch the National League title.

Dan Holman also leaped to the top of the division's goalscoring charts with a first-half brace to take him to 28.

His first was a curled effort from the edge of the box after a good through ball by Asa Hall and then the striker slotted home a penalty from a handball.

Promotion was confirmed by Forest Green Rovers' loss at home to Woking.

A 22-match unbeaten league run through the winter did the damage for Gary Johnson's men.

Cheltenham return to League Two after just one season away and have won promotion with two games still to play.

Cheltenham Town boss Gary Johnson told BBC Radio Gloucestershire:

"It's a magnificent achievement by the club - everybody has played their part in the success, supporters, the players, the board of directors and my staff, and I am very proud of them all.

"(After last season) we had to change our thoughts, we had to change our attitude and we had to change our players and when we did that and when we got the right characters in, this is what happens.

"The chairman put us under a little bit of pressure by saying that we had to bounce back straight away, so we had to do everything we possibly could to do that on a small-ish budget."

Line-ups

Cheltenham

Formation 4-4-2

  • 31Flatt
  • 24Dickie
  • 6Parslow
  • 4StorerBooked at 38minsSubstituted forMunnsat 46'minutes
  • 3McLennan
  • 15Burgess
  • 2BarthramSubstituted forCranstonat 74'minutes
  • 14Hall
  • 27DaytonSubstituted forWatersat 74'minutes
  • 10Morgan-Smith
  • 30Holman

Substitutes

  • 8Waters
  • 11Munns
  • 12Kitscha
  • 18Rowe
  • 21Cranston

Halifax

Formation 4-4-2

  • 23Johnson
  • 3McManus
  • 6BencherifSubstituted forHughesat 35'minutes
  • 16HibbsBooked at 31mins
  • 2Bolton
  • 15Roberts
  • 17MacDonald
  • 4James
  • 35Wroe
  • 9Burrow
  • 12PeniketSubstituted forMcDonaldat 64'minutes

Substitutes

  • 1Porter
  • 7Hattersley
  • 8Fazlic
  • 24Hughes
  • 40McDonald
Referee:
John Busby
Attendance:
5,245

Match Stats

Home TeamCheltenhamAway TeamHalifax
Possession
Home50%
Away50%
Shots
Home10
Away12
Shots on Target
Home8
Away2
Corners
Home7
Away3
Fouls
Home13
Away12

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Cheltenham Town 2, FC Halifax Town 0.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Cheltenham Town 2, FC Halifax Town 0.

  3. Post update

    Corner, FC Halifax Town.

  4. Post update

    Foul by Jack Munns (Cheltenham Town).

  5. Post update

    Kevin Roberts (FC Halifax Town) wins a free kick.

  6. Post update

    Attempt saved. Dan Holman (Cheltenham Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved.

  7. Post update

    Attempt missed. Shaquille McDonald (FC Halifax Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high.

  8. Post update

    Attempt saved. Asa Hall (Cheltenham Town) right footed shot from outside the box is saved.

  9. Post update

    Offside, Cheltenham Town. Amari Morgan-Smith tries a through ball, but Amari Morgan-Smith is caught offside.

  10. Post update

    Foul by Dan Holman (Cheltenham Town).

  11. Post update

    Jake Hibbs (FC Halifax Town) wins a free kick.

  12. Post update

    Corner, FC Halifax Town.

  13. Post update

    Attempt missed. Kevin Roberts (FC Halifax Town) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right.

  14. Post update

    Attempt missed. Scott McManus (FC Halifax Town) right footed shot from outside the box is too high.

  15. Substitution

    Substitution, Cheltenham Town. Jordan Cranston replaces Jack Barthram.

  16. Substitution

    Substitution, Cheltenham Town. Billy Waters replaces James Dayton.

  17. Post update

    Foul by Shaquille McDonald (FC Halifax Town).

  18. Post update

    Robert Dickie (Cheltenham Town) wins a free kick.

  19. Post update

    Foul by Asa Hall (Cheltenham Town).

  20. Post update

    Jordan Burrow (FC Halifax Town) wins a free kick.

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Cheltenham442811583295495
2Forest Green442511868412786
3Dover4423101174512379
4Grimsby432114878413777
5Braintree4421121150361475
6Eastleigh4321111163501374
7Tranmere4420121259441572
8Wrexham442091569511869
9Macclesfield441981759461365
10Gateshead441810165465-1164
11Lincoln City441613156662461
12Barrow441613156069-961
13Bromley44179186566-160
14Woking431510186562355
15Aldershot44158215069-1953
16Southport441313184760-1352
17Torquay441311204970-2150
18Chester441212206168-748
19Guiseley441016184366-2346
20Boreham Wood441014204049-944
21Halifax431110225381-2843
22Altrincham44914214370-2741
23Kidderminster44812244467-2336
24Welling44811253565-3035
View full National League table