Cheltenham 0, City 0

So that’s 276 games gone and – hopefully – only three to go before City’s six-year stretch in the Football League’s basement could be over.

Like an inmate chalking off the days on his cell wall, confinement in League Two has seemed never ending since they were sentenced to the drop in 2007.

But at last, at long, long last, there is a chink of light amid the darkness. At last, there is genuine belief that this could all soon be over.

As City embark on their first play-off mission in 17 years, they have finally discovered an escape route. Now it is all about holding the collective nerve and forcing their way free.

There is plenty of play-off experience among the bunch, even if it has all been acquired elsewhere. Nobody can question the hunger for battle within Phil Parkinson’s troops.

Nor can fingers be pointed at their integrity – the word that Steve Evans raised in the pre-match build-up on Saturday which drew so many wry smiles among the Bantam ranks.

Even as his own Rotherham side prepared to clinch promotion, Valley Parade’s ‘favourite’ opposition manager could not resist the opportunity to chip in on City’s selection policy.

The mass changes Parkinson planned at Whaddon Road, Evans claimed, were putting the whole competition in a poor light, given that Cheltenham were the only side who could pip the Millers for third.

Indeed, Parkinson did sweep the board with eight new faces in all. But they were new only in terms of not having played the previous few weeks – there were no fresh-faced novices being given a day in the sun here.

Ricky Ravenhill, one of the three to stay in along with Michael Nelson and the irreplaceable Stephen Darby, gave the Rotherham remarks short shrift.

“It’s all just for show,” said City’s skipper for the day. “He’s trying to make his point and be the big man in the paper again.

“We’ll do what we need to do. We’re not worried what other people have to say about us.

“We put a good team out. The gaffer rested a few but it was still a strong side – and that shows what a good squad we’ve got.

“We’ve not got a massive group of players, so you never know what’s going to happen. Everyone’s going to be needed.

“A lot of those players have been out of the team a while and have come in and done well. We all put a shift in.

A full-strength Cheltenham side would not argue with that after failing to break them down in a forgettable match.

The Robins had most of the play as expected but barely troubled Matt Duke on his return to goal for the first time since that afternoon at Exeter when we all thought the play-off dream was up.

He made one punching save from Marlon Pack’s free-kick and saw another header from the midfielder cannon off the post. But otherwise, once Steve Elliott and Kaid Mohamed had squandered early opportunities, Cheltenham had little in the locker.

Even playing the final half hour with a man down, City were never unduly stretched. And once news filtered through that Rotherham were in command of Aldershot, any intensity in the home approach rapidly dissolved.

This was a nuisance game for the Bantams, hence the team sheet, but it would have passed off perfectly had Andrew Davies not lost his head.

The centre half has cleaned up his act considerably after last season’s three red cards. But he blotted a perfect copybook on the final day – and will pay the punishment by watching Thursday’s first semi-final joust with Burton from the Valley Parade stand.

Davies had an understandable beef with Andy D’Urso’s first yellow card after 37 minutes. His lunge on Mohamed was a powerful one but it looked fair and he appeared to make contact with the ball.

D’Urso initially seemed to agree but was called over by his assistant as Cheltenham howled for retribution and then got his book out.

It would have been easy for City to take off the centre half at the break; in hindsight, it’s a no-brainer.

But they were keen to test his match fitness. The plan was always to put Davies through a full 90 minutes and see how his troublesome calf coped.

It was better for any reaction to be spotted in a meaningless game than it to go during Thursday’s showdown.

So Davies was told to cool it and not tempt D’Urso’s trigger finger with anything out of the ordinary.

But the halo slipped just before the hour when he pulled Jermaine McGlashan to the floor. This time there could be no complaints about the legitimacy of the card.

It meant Rory McArdle’s much-needed breather was over – and so was the afternoon for the unfortunate Alan Connell.

In truth, Connell and Andy Gray had got very little change up front. The poor pitch and conditions would have been more suited to the rampaging James Hanson and Nahki Wells to pick up on any unconvincing bounce.

But they were safely tucked up in the dugout with very little managerial intention of moving them otherwise. Bigger, genuine battles lay ahead.

Home keeper Scott Brown did not have a save to make. The closest City came was a Nathan Doyle volley that whistled inches wide after intricate set-up work from Zavon Hines.

Carl McHugh, an admirable deputy for James Meredith at left back, then almost capped off a satisfying display keeping McGlashan in check with a diving header that was charged down in a sea of boots.

But the final scoreline meant little other than confirming that City will enter this week’s shoot-out in good spirits and strong form.

Just two defeats since Wembley is a remarkable statistic; if they can negotiate their way back there without another one would be more remarkable still.

Attendance: 5,888