Cheltenham Town 0-1 Bristol Rovers
Vertu Trophy - Southern Section Group B, The EV Charger Points Stadium, Tuesday 7 October 2025
Bristol Rovers secured passage to the knock-out stages of the 2025/26 Vertu Trophy with a battling 1-0 win away to Cheltenham Town.
Luke Thomas was the difference-maker on 60 minutes with a real moment of quality, finding the bottom corner with a terrific finish from outside the area to secure the victory over the Gas’ fellow Sky Bet League Two opposition.
The hard-fought win puts Rovers on five points from two matches played in Southern Section Group B, securing the Club’s progression to the last 32 of the competition with neither Cheltenham Town or Tottenham Hotspur U21s able to overtake the Gas.
A final game in Southern Group B, at home to Sky Bet League One Plymouth Argyle, will determine who tops the group.
The Gas made eight changes to the starting XI for the return to Vertu Trophy action, with defender Stephan Negru receiving his Rovers debut following his deadline day move from Oxford United.
Cheltenham Town were also heavily altered from their weekend fixture and it was the hosts who teased the first half-attempt of a quiet opening period. Ryan Broom’s driven cross forced a reaction from Brad Young, who stooped low to clear the dangerous ball.
Fabrizio Cavegn’s immense run of form in recent weeks saw the Swiss voted the Bristol Rovers Player Of The Month for September and the attacker almost continued his rich vein of form with a deft effort on six minutes, which Mamadou Diallo did well to keep out.
The Pirates’ No29 was again denied by Diallo moments later after Cavegn was played through by Ruel Sotiriou, before Ibrahim Bakare’s well-timed challenge stopped another goal-bound effort.
In truth, it was a largely tame first half but Thomas almost gave the visitors the advantage on the stroke of the interval, only to his effort blocked by Freddie Willcox in the area.
Head Coach Darrell Clarke made two changes for the second half as Ellis Harrison and Dan Ellison entered the fray in place of Cavegn and Negru.
It was the former who looked to net just a few minutes later when a well-worked short corner by Joel Senior found the striker, who fired an effort on target which was blocked away by Lee Angol.
Sotiriou and Bryant Bilongo tried their luck, respectively, with two quickfire chances as the Gas continued their dominance.
The away side finally got their just rewards on the hour mark when Sotiriou laid the ball off for Thomas. The No11, around 20 yards from goal, fired in a fantastic left-footed strike that had Diallo beaten, finding the bottom corner to give Rovers the deserved lead.
Cheltenham’s opportunities were very limited by a dogged Rovers defence but Broom did give Young cause to react on 70 minutes, with his low effort on the angle forcing a save by the Gas shot-stopper.
A quiet conclusion to the fixture played out, giving Rovers a valuable three points in the Vertu Trophy group stages and putting the team on course for qualification for the knock-out stages.
Cheltenham Town: Diallo, Power, Bakare, Willcox, Sohna, Pell (c), Kinsella, Taylor, Broom, Angol, Backwell (King 79)
Subs not used: Day, Caple, Barber, Tustin, Obieri
Bristol Rovers: Young, Senior, Moore (c), Mola, Sotiriou, Thomas (Hill 72), Conteh, Howley, Bilongo (Sparkes 61), Negru (Ellison 46), Cavegn (Harrison 46)
Subs not used: Turner, Toogood, English
Goals: Thomas 60
Booked: Sotiriou
Referee: Matthew Russell
