The balls just haven't bounced Robins' way

A PROMISING start was already ebbing away when manager Martin Allen ran into his spot of bother outside a Cheltenham nightclub recently, and little has gone right for the Robins of late.

Money is tight at Whaddon Road, and caretaker boss John Schofield has been trying to wheel and deal in the loan market in an effort to bolster a losing team.

There are already several products of the club's youth scheme in the squad and one of them, 24-year-old Scott Brown, is in goal.

Schofield has lost one of his recent defence this week — Icelander Orn Eyjolfsson has returned from a loan spell to West Ham.

Both full-backs, veteran Drissa Diallo (Burnley, Ipswich, Sheffield Wed, MK Dons) and ex-trainee Dave Bird, remain.

But Schofield will have to find a new centre-half partner for 6ft 2in tall Michael Townsend, another youth graduate.

There's better news in midfield, where Bristol City have agreed to allow the combative on-loan Frankie Artus to play in the Cup.

There's plenty of pace around, with experienced Josh Low (Bristol Rovers, Cardiff, Oldham, Northampton), ex-Swindon youngster Michael Pook and 17-year-old Theo Lewis.

Lewis has drawn the scouts to Whaddon Road recently — Aston Villa and Birmingham are both trailing him — and his days at this level are surely numbered.

Up front Schofield has been starting with old warhorse Julian Alsop and Ghana-born Elvis Hammond.

Alsop, now 36, is in his second spell at Cheltenham, having also plied his muscular trade at Bristol Rovers, Swansea, Oxford and a string of non-League clubs.

Hammond, who's scored five goals so far, started with Fulham and also had a spell with Leicester, who paid £225,000 for him, before joining the Robins in 2008.

Schofield does have striking alternatives.

Barry Hayles (see Player To Watch) and ex-Bristol Rovers, Stevenage, Woking and Kidderminster forward Justin Richards have the experience, while on-loan duo Ramone Rose (QPR) and lanky Tom Denton (Huddersfield) have the promise.

Also in contention are midfielder Andy Gallinagh, teenagers Marley Watkins, Kyle Haynes and David Hutton and 40-year-old back-up goalie Barry Richardson (Northampton, Preston, Lincoln, Doncaster, Nottingham Forest).