Cheltenham Town are hoping to earn promotion through the League Two play-offs and get their campaign underway on Thursday night when they play Northampton in the semi-final first leg at Sixfields. Our sports correspondent Matthias Kurth spoke to manager Mark Yates ahead of the big game.
Cheltenham Town players and manager, Mark Yates, believe that there is still a chance for them to gain automatic promotion from League Two on the final day of the regular season.
They acknowledge that there is a small chance but a chance nevertheless. In order to overhaul Rotherham, two points above Cheltenham in third place, the Robins must beat Bradford at Whaddon Road and hope that Rotherham lose to Aldershot.
Cheltenham Town are preparing for their final League Two game of the season against Bradford. They have to win and hope that, elsewhere, Rotherham slip up to gain automatic promotion.
Cheltenham take on former manager's Gillingham side
Allen left Cheltenham in December 2009 Credit: ITV News West Country
Cheltenham Town are preparing to welcome back their former manager, Martin Allen and his Gillingham side to Whaddon Road this weekend. Victory could move the Robins back into the League Two automatic promotion places.
Cheltenham Town manager, Mark Yates, admits that the club is below where it wants to sit in the League Two table and his team should be better placed than they currently are.
Cheltenham lost in the play-off final at Wembley last season and it now look as though they might be involved in the play-offs again, having fallen out of the the league's automatic promotion places.
The Robins have three games still to play, starting at home against League Two leaders, Gillingham, on Saturday. Yates says they still haven't given up hope of finishing the season strongly and achieving an automatic promotion berth.
Cheltenham Town midfielder, Marlon Pack, says the Robins need to win all three of their remaining League Two fixtures if they are to stand a chance of achieving automatic promotion.
Cheltenham occupy fifth place in the table - a play-off position - and host league league leaders Gillingham at Whaddon Road on Saturday. The fixture is given extra spice by the return of former Cheltenham manager, Martin Allen, who left the club under a cloud in 2009 and now manages Gillingham.