Gloucester 3 Telford 0 - Report and pictures

Midfielder Joe Hanks scored a second half brace with two finely taken strikes alongside Chris Knowles' opener on nine minutes.

The home side were by far the superior side at Whaddon Road in Cheltenham as they outplayed and stretched Telford with their energetic attacking play.

Montgomery also made some fine saves in goal to keep the deficit down and Telford had their fair share of good chances to score but could not find the target.

Rob Smith made several changes to his team against Gloucester, who were the league's third highest goal scorers going into the game.

Dwayne Samuels came in at left back, James Hurst started at right back, being moved up from attack; and Preston, Peers and Reynolds were also brought into the starting eleven.

Also on the bench for the Bucks was new signing Joshua Cooke. The forward has signed on loan from League One outfit Swindon Town

Telford had two early chances on goal, with a goal line clearance coming from former Bucks defender Jack Deaman to deny the visitor's and 'keeper Jasbir Singh saving a curling shot on the rebound from outside the box.

The home side enjoyed much of the play in the first half, with a goal coming on nine minutes from Gloucester's Chris Knowles.

The midfielder was quickest to meet an in-swinging corner from the right and headed home down the centre of the net, with Montgomery unable to react quick enough.

The pressure in the first half was strongest from Gloucester in the opening 20 minutes, and former Telford defender Jack Deaman came close to increasing the lead minutes after the goal, meeting another corner with a header but he could only fire over the bar.

The Bucks' display at the back was weaker than their previous games, but they were able to soak up the pressure being thrown at them.

Gloucester, who looked athletic, piled the pressure on with crosses into the box coming from set pieces and down the wings.

Telford had a good chance to equalise when they won a free kick on the edge of Gloucester's box. James Hurst stepped up to take the spot kick, but fired low at the goal.

Forward Tom Peers made a darting run down the centre before lashing a low shot at goal, but Singh once again dealt with comfortably.

Montgomery was making good saves between the sticks at the other end.

Edward Williams had a good chance on goal to increase the home side's lead, after meeting a dangerous Kotwica cross from the left wing, but the shot stopper caught the ball well.

Another dangerous ball was swept into Telford's penalty area from a free kick by the half way line, but Montgomery scrambled across the goal to palm the ball away.

Micah Evans finished Telford's last chance of the first half - which was created with some good hold up play and passing - by scooping his effort over the right corner.

In the second half, Gloucester's Thomas had a good chance to make it 2-0 with clever corner from Hanks, who passed the ball into the box and found Thomas in space, but he could only curl the shot over the bar.

Gloucester made it 2-0 on 63 minutes when Joe Hanks, who was again involved in good attacking play, thumped in his shot from inside the box.

And it wasn't long long before the midfielder had his second of the game, and Gloucester's third.

He found the ball from a corner before unleashing a fine strike from the edge of the box, beating Montgomery with ease.

Montgomery was called into action minutes after to deny a fourth goal for Gloucester, tipping away a Parker shot from the left with a fine save.

New Telford signing, Joshua Parker, made his debut replacing Micah Evans up front.

If Telford had managed to quell some of the pressure from Gloucester in the first half, they failed to do so in the second half, with the home side ruthless going forward.

Rob Smith will look at the line-up of his team and the mistakes made against Gloucester, before their away FA Cup tie against Worcester City.