Cheltenham 0 City 1

CHAIRMAN Edin Rahic shelled out for burgers for the travelling City fans before the game – and there could be more on the menu next week after the Bantams booked another course in the Checkatrade Trophy.

There were 92 loyals who made the 350-mile round trip to Gloucestershire to see Stuart McCall's side book a quarter-final trip to Oxford six days from now.

A few more may be tempted for the next journey, with Wembley potentially only two stops away. The competition that nobody likes has suddenly got more interesting for City.

McCall had noticed a spring in the step at training in the build-up. Whatever the right or wrongs of this poorly-organised tournament, the prospect of a day at the national stadium remains an enticing one.

A scruffy goal from Jordy Hiwula was enough to edge past a game Cheltenham outfit and bank City a tidy £40,000 winning cheque.

City made six changes from Shrewsbury but it was a strong line-up to tackle the side currently third from bottom of the entire Football League.

Cheltenham's position was deceiving – they had rattled in nine goals in the past two games – and with a pitch that crumbled from the off, it was no night for any fancy-dan posturing.

Every pass had to be watched carefully for the bobble and the goal-mouths were particularly muddy minefields.

There was an old-school feel to proceedings and Stephen Darby produced a thundering tackle to match the occasion. It was the highlight of a low-key first half.

Playing at left back, Darby flew into Jack Barthram with a solid "thump" which drew an "ooh" from the crowd. To their credit, neither the referee nor the Cheltenham midfielder had any complaint.

City defended diligently against a home side playing the percentages and looking to use the height and strength of Harry Pell and Danny Wright.

Matt Kilgallon, returning to the side at centre half, timed his interception perfectly to deny Diego De Girolamo a free shot at Jordan Cranston's low cross.

Mark Marshall defied the conditions to lead Cheltenham on a merry dance at times and Cranston struggled in his wake.

A couple of well-placed crosses went unrewarded before he took matters into his own hands with an angled drive that Calum Kitscha beat away.

Danny Devine followed up with the rebound – but was denied a first senior goal as the keeper saved well with his legs.

But Cheltenham upped the tempo for the start of the second half with a spell of pressure to pen the Bantams in. Wright and De Girolamo forced the ball in from a scramble but the flag was up for a foul.

Cheltenham pressed again as Rouven Sattelmaier was called into action with a diving save to deny Billy Waters and then Wright whistled an effort just over the angle of post and bar.

It was a worrying period for the visitors, who had replaced Romain Vincelot with Josh Cullen at the break in a pre-planned switch.

Kilgallon picked out Timothee Dieng in space in the corner of the Cheltenham box but he dragged his shot past the side-netting.

Sattelmaier was almost left red-faced when his throw towards Tony McMahon rebounded goalwards off the back of De Girolamo's head.

But it was City celebrating against the run of play with a 64th-minute breakthrough.

McMahon's free-kick was nodded down by James Hanson, Rory McArdle tried to bundle in from close range but Hiwula was behind him to convert his ninth goal of the season.

It was not the prettiest he has scored but it took the heat off the Bantams, who had been second best since the break up to that point.

Marshall, City's best player, made way for Billy Clarke at the three-quarter point – another substitution set out in advance to give the striker his first outing for two months since his calf injury.

But he could only watch as Cheltenham came within a whisker of levelling. Emmanuel Onariase powered upfield from centre half before his cross squeezed through to Waters on the edge of the box.

The attacking midfielder lashed a drive past Sattelmaier but it cracked against the bar and away to safety.

Cheltenham: Kitscha 7, Onariase 6, Boyle 7, O'Shaughnessy 7, Barthram 6 (Holman 72min), Pell 7, Cranston 6, Rowe 7, Waters 7 (Munns 85min), Wright 7, De Girolamo 6 (Dayton 72min). Subs (not used): Storer, Downes, Bower, Clayton.

City: Sattelmaier 6, McMahon 6, McArdle 7, Kilgallon 7, Darby 7, Devine 6, Vincelot 6 (Cullen 46min, 6), Dieng 6, Marshall 8 (Clarke 68min), Hanson 6 (Knight-Percival 77min), Hiwula 6. Subs (not used): Meredith, Law, Doyle.

Referee: Brendan Malone (Salisbury).

Bookings: Rowe (Cheltenham), McMahon (City).

Attendance: 1,081.