Cheltenham beat Halifax 2-0 to advance in FA Cup

Cheltenham edged out FC Halifax 2-0 in front of 2,961 spectators to move on to the next round. After the final whistle, Cheltenham manager Steve Cotterill shook hands with Halifax boss John McGrath.

John McGrath, whose father‑in‑law is celebrated mountaineer Alan Hinkes OBE, arrived at the mist‑shrouded Cleeve Hill pitch straight from the team bus. The Irishman, who once played for Aston Villa against Liverpool in the Premier League, previously guided his Buxton side to a 2‑1 half‑time lead in the FA Cup second round last season before the match slipped away.

A serious foot injury at age 32 ended his playing days at Burton Albion, after which he earned a master’s degree in broadcasting and media at Staffordshire University and took early broadcasting spots with local radio. He says his brief half‑hour coffee with his wife Fiona, Director of Public Realm at Islington Council, at Doncaster station each morning is ‘our little half an hour’ and that they are ‘ships that pass in the night’.

Halifax’s 350 loyal fans in attendance continue to yearn for promotion to League Two. The club could badly use the £50,000 prize money that a win would have brought, alongside the morale boost it promises. Owner David Bosomworth, who witnessed the club’s 2008 bust, declined to comment and was not present at the match.

Cheltenham, bought last year by former Burnley owner Mike Garlick, have installed Steve Cotterill as manager. The club’s supporters arrive buoyant, with Cheltenham sitting fifth in League Two. Halifax will regroup for their upcoming National League clash at Kidderminster next Saturday.