Arkell Jude-Boyd redeemed himself with a stoppage-time winner as Cheltenham edged a 1-0 League Two win over misfiring Chesterfield after boss Michael Flynn revealed the right-back had reported late for the match.
He followed up to score his fourth of the season from close range after Jordan Thomas’ effort was parried by Max Thompson in second minute of second-half added time as the Robins’ impressive home form continued.
“Arkell owed me one today,” Flynn said. “He was late and the old me would probably have dropped him, cutting my nose off to spite my face and trying to make a statement.
“But I didn’t punish him per se and he has repaid the boys today with the winning goal.”
It was Cheltenham’s fourth stoppage-time winner at the EV Charger Points Stadium this season and they have lost one in their last 13 on home turf across all competitions.
“They’ll start calling it ‘Flynn time’ instead of ‘Fergie time’, won’t they, or something like that anyway,” the delighted manager added.
“But it means we keep going and I am really pleased because I didn’t think we were at our best by a long stretch.”
Both sides struggled to carve out anything noteworthy before half-time, with Max Thompson having to touch Ethon Archer’s looping header from Jude-Boyd’s cross over the crossbar late in the half.
Robins defender Sam Stubbs had earlier blocked well from Michael Olakigbe, who cut inside from the right.
Stubbs headed a free-kick from Thomas over the bar five minutes into the second half, while – at the other end – Jack Sparkes’ driven cross was headed over by Tom Naylor.
Armando Dobra’s effort was deflected into the side-netting moments later and the lively Olakigbe curled one just wide of the right post.
Archer shot wide through a crowd of visiting players with nine minutes left, while Dylan Duffy was denied by Joe Day before Jude-Boyd found the net against the Spireites for the second time this season.
Chesterfield boss Paul Cook admitted he was perplexed by how his team left Gloucestershire empty-handed.
“How do we lose? How do we come away from these stadiums getting beat?” Cook said.
“We can’t lose these games. Successful teams don’t lose that game and it is something this season we have been guilty of a couple of times.
“You can’t lose that goal. We were in no danger in the game, absolutely zero. The challenge was, can we get the goal?
“Yet again we succumbed to madness and it is something that has plagued us. We should be walking away with a point and four games unbeaten and momentum building.
“I thought Darren Oldaker was magnificent, Tyrone Williams, Jamie Grimes for long periods.
“I thought we did well, I actually enjoyed watching us. I felt in no danger in the game; it was more have we got a goal, could someone get us a goal?”
