Late double sinks Cheltenham

On target: Jonathan Benteke pictured with Athletic boss Frankie Bunn

Athletic ended their five-match run without a win as they saw off 10-man Cheltenham 2-0 at Boundary Park last night.

Frankie Bunn’s made hard work of securing their victory – not breaking the deadlock until the final quarter-of-an-hour – but they fully deserved their morale-boosting maximum points haul.

Jonathan Benteke - the brother of Crystal Palace striker Christian - set Athletic on course, before Callum Lang sealed the win in stoppage time.

The hosts made a dominant start to the game and could have led through Jose Baxter, who finished tamely after running on to Lang's cross.

Gevaro Nepomuceno was denied by the legs of visiting goalkeeper Scott Flinders, while defender George Edmundson headed inches wide.

Cheltenham went a man down just before the break when striker Sam Jones got involved in a fracas with Baxter and received a straight red card for thrusting his head towards his opponent.

Flinders then made another save from Nepomuceno, diving away to his right when the Curacao international let fly from 18 yards.

The breakthrough finally came in the 75th minute when full-back Rob Hunt crossed to the near post and sub Benteke slid in to convert his first goal in English football from close range.

Lang doubled the lead with a superb individual strike to leave struggling Cheltenham winless in seven games.

Athletic, who are now up to 12th in the League Two standings, head to Northampton on Saturday.

The Cobblers triumphed 5-0 at Macclesfield last night.

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