DEJA VU AS ALSOP LEVELS.

CHELTENHAM 1 ROTHERHAM 1 CHELTENHAM fans could be forgiven a sense of deja vu as they watched veteran striker Julian Alsop plant home an unstoppable header to salvage a point, with former Robins boss Steve Cotterill looking on from the stands.

Cotterill, still revered at Whaddon Road, is one of eight candidates vying for the managerial vacancy at Rotherham and will have been delighted to see the former Halesowen Town target man salvage a point six minutes from time after a match dominated by the visitors.

It was particularly painful for the visiting fans who saw Alsop, plucked from non-league obscurity with Bishop's Cleeve, emphatically head home a cross from teenage substitute Theo Lewis only moments after United's Nicky Law rolled the ball wide of a gaping goal at the other end.

United were the only team in it in the first half.

Tom Pope went close three times along with Dale Tonge, Kevin Ellison and Law.

The deserved breakthrough finally came in first-half injury time when Cheltenham keeper Scott Brown spilled a Pope long throw on to the toes of a falling Adam Le Fondre, who converted on the goalline.

Sub Elvis Hammond and defender Josh Low both went close as Cheltenham rallied after the break. Danny Harrison was within inches of winning it for the visitors when he rattled Brown's left hand post five minutes before Alsop's contribution.