Humbled and humiliated

This was no freak result, it was a fully deserved victory against a Burnley side that has lost confidence, lost belief and so lost for the second successive game.

It was not so much a Greek tragedy as a Greek comedy of errors as reserve keeper Luigi Cennamo endured a debut he will want to forget.

When his compatriot Nik Michopoulos tore a calf muscle in the 16th minute it took three minutes of treatment before he limped off to allow Cennamo his first taste of first team action.

But before he had even made a save he had picked the ball out of his net twice in an opening so full of nerves it was hard not to feel some pity for him.

In truth he never properly settled and throughout the game it appeared as if he had never met his defenders before and Cheltenham looked to exploit the uncertainty that subsequently spread through the Burnley back-line.

Cennamo's English is better than Michopoulos's but he might as well have been speaking another language. Virtually every time the ball went into the Clarets penalty area panic and desperation followed.

The opening goal five minutes after he took his place between the sticks was a well worked free-kick. Tony Naylor and Mark Yates took a couple of neat touches to create an angle for winger Russell Milton who simply took the invitation to fire his shot into the large gap that had been left to the keeper's right.

Four minutes later it was 2-0 as Cennamo was again beaten, this time the towering presence of Julian Alsop nodding home Milton's inch perfect cross.

Within two minutes Burnley had one back, a lovely solo effort by Irish winger Alan Moore who burst through the heart of the defence and slotted home a cool shot for his second goal for the Clarets.

But even though the ref somehow found five minutes of stoppage time at the end of the game there was to be no dramatic equaliser.

The way Burnley played he could have added 25 minutes, they did not look like snatching an undeserved replay.

As after the home defeat by Sheffield Wednesday last week, manager Stan Ternent did not mince his words having watched his side surrender to a third division side for the second time in a cup this season.

It was Rushden and Diamonds who dumped them out of the Worthington Cup back in August and this was a similarly abject display.

"It's a very disappointing day, a very disappointing performance," he said. "We had far too many players who didn't perform today and Cheltenham fully deserved to go through to the next round.

"We make no excuses, we were miles away from where we should have been. We got exactly what we deserved for the second week running."

It is not unusual for Burnley to suffer a blip at this time of year but a run of six games with just one win, and that against non-League Canvey Island, is seeing the confidence with which the New Year was greeted start to evaporate.

There is no need to panic, the league position is still healthy and there is everything to play for in the last 18 games of the season.

But a Cup run would have added much needed funds to Ternent's transfer kitty as well as providing a welcome boost to morale.

Now the players have to re-group and start putting right what has been going wrong in recent weeks.

Ternent believes that the arrival of Robbie Blake will give everyone a lift and how badly such a lift is needed.

All the best football came from the home side and they should have scored even earlier when a lovely flowing move down the left ended with Jamie Victory pulling his shot wide when he was well placed to beat Michopoulos.

That move was far better than anything the Clarets could produce despite the efforts of Alan Moore to galvanise the side.

Glen Little, back from his hamstring injury, did not look fit and had no impact on the game while Michael Duff and inspirational skipper Chris Banks had little trouble keeping Ian Moore and Gareth Taylor quiet.

In midfield ex-Claret Mark Yates clearly relished the opportunity of showing the 2000 travelling fans what he is capable of and the width provided by Milton and Lee Williams ensured the visitors were stretched at every opportunity.

Then there was Alsop. With first Tony Naylor and then Neil Grayson alongside him he was a towering presence at both ends, flicking the ball on in attack, heading the ball to safety in defence.

Poor Ian Cox and Arthur Gnohere endured another afternoon to forget eight days after being given the runaround by the Owls.

With the wind at their backs in the second half there was every reason for the Burnley fans to believe their team could get back in to the match but on countless occasions aimless long balls simply rolled behind or in to the welcoming hands of Steve Book.

"I knew they would put us under pressure but I thought we dealt well with it for most of the time," said Robins boss Steve Cotterill.

In truth, they did not have any great trouble to deal with.

Book made a good save to stop Taylor's left foot shot, Kevin Ball shot wide and Lee Briscoe hit the target with a volley. That was about the sum total of chances.

Ternent's displeasure was understandable. He knew this was a great chance to be in the last 16 of the Cup, a chance surrendered so desperately meekly.

The success of this season that started with so much promise will now be judged on the final placing in the first division. West Brom visit Turf Moor on Sunday in a crucial match that offers a perfect opportunity to get the promotion push back on track.

But everyone at Whaddon Road yesterday, not least Ternent, knows the improvement has to come from everyone and it has to come quickly.

CHELTENHAM...2

Scorers:Milton 24, Alsop 28

BURNLEY...1

Scorer: A Moore 30

Attendance...7.000