Cheltenham Town 1-1 Carlisle United: Robins seal promotion to League One

Chris Hussey drew Cheltenham Town level in the second half

Cheltenham Town have sealed promotion to League One after drawing 1-1 at home to Carlisle United.

The Robins only needed a point to secure a spot back in the third tier, but Joshua Kayode gave the Cumbrian side a shock first-half lead.

However, Chris Hussey's superb free-kick after the break put the hosts back on course.

Cheltenham, who last played in League One in 2009, will lift the League Two title if they win their last two games.

It has been a close-run battle in recent weeks with top-three neighbours Cambridge United and Bolton Wanderers, with the U's wasting a chance to seal promotion themselves on Saturday when they lost at home to Stevenage.

The Robins have won three of their past five matches to secure a return to League One and have lost just five league games at home all campaign.

They will be back in the third tier next season for the first time since 2008-09 and five years after they made an immediate return to the English Football League, winning the National League title in 2016.

Michael Duff, who was appointed permanent successor to Gary Johnson in September 2018, has gone one better this season than their fourth-placed finish in last season's curtailed league campaign.

That finish on a points-per-game basis because of the Covid-19 pandemic did secure them a play-off place, but they were beaten by eventual winners Northampton Town 3-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals.