Cheltenham Town 0-3 Stevenage: Robins become first EFL side to fail to score in opening nine league games

Cheltenham supporters have watched opposing fans celebrate 11 goals at the Robins' Completely-Suzuki Stadium this season without their own side finding the net once

Cheltenham Town became the first side in Football League history to fail to score in their opening nine league games of a season as they were well beaten by Stevenage.

The managerless Robins, who parted company with boss Wade Elliott in midweek and placed Kevin Russell in temporary charge, have now gone more than 13-and-a-half hours without a League One goal this season.

In failing to net against Boro they broke the record previously held by Halifax Town, who failed to score in any of their first eight league games in the fourth tier in 1990-91.

And Cheltenham have only netted once in 11 games in all competitions this season - and that was an own goal scored by Bristol Rovers' James Gibbons in a 4-1 EFL Trophy defeat earlier this month.

A side with so little firepower this season was soon up against it when Jordan Roberts fired Stevenage into an early lead before a second-half brace from substitute Elliott List ensured Steve Evans' side continued their impressive start in League One.

However, caretaker boss Russell saw positives in Cheltenham's display.

"In a strange sort of way between both boxes I thought we were the better team by miles," he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"I thought some of the football we played was really, really good but the game was won and lost in both boxes.

"Again we've had chances to get in front and we've got to be better and we've got to be more clinical, and it's been like that all season. But if they keep playing like that they'll get results.

"I'm very disappointed with the result, disappointed for the lads because I thought they gave everything, but then I thought there were some positive aspects to it. Hopefully whoever comes in there's a lot of continuity there to push on."

It took Boro only seven minutes break through when Dan Butler's corner fell for Roberts in the box and he beat Luke Southwood with a low finish.

Jovan Malcolm smashed a shot against the bar for the hosts after Liam Sercombe's pass in the 34th minute.

Aidan Keena fired a shot just over and Sercombe forced Krisztian Hegyi into a flying save before half-time as the Robins rallied.

But List made it 2-0 in the 69th minute after another Butler corner was not dealt with and he followed up to score his second in the 73rd minute after Southwood parried Ben Thompson's shot from the edge of the box.

Match details supplied by PA Media.