Scouting mission pays off for Gary Johnson
A midweek trip to watch Crawley Town play Wycombe Wanderers at home provided the Robins boss with everything he needed to know in order to successfully plot the downfall of Harry Kewell's team.
Cheltenham scored three unanswered goals in the first period and it could easily have been 6-0 at half-time.
While it was a shambolic defensive performance from the hosts, Cheltenham were devastating on the break.
One of Crawley's dangermen, Enzio Boldewijn, barely had a touch thanks to the efforts of Ilias Chatzitheodoridis. who continues to impress during his loan spell from Brentford.
Taylor Moore came through a late fitness test and performed well on the opposite side, while Nigel Atangana continues to look at home in a deeper role in front of the back four.
Tactically, Cheltenham were streets ahead of their opponents, who did not look like a team who needed a victory to keep their play-off hopes alive.
The 4-5-1 formation used since Luton away on February 24 has contributed significantly towards Cheltenham's best run of the season, winning two and drawing three.
A sparkling first half display
Harry Pell's opener was a perfectly placed shot into the top right corner from 25 yards after dispossessing Lewis Young, announcing his return to the starting line-up in style seven minutes in.
There was some controversy surrounding the second, with Mo Eisa racing through after appearing to control a misplaced pass from Mark Randall with his hand.
He was brought down in the box by a combination of defender Josh Yorwerth and goalkeeper Glenn Morris and a penalty was given, but no cards were shown.
Pell saw his spot kick saved by Morris, but reacted quickest to fire in at the second attempt, taking great delight in celebrating in front of the home fans behind the goal in the 12th minute.
After conceding the second, Crawley collapsed into what was undoubtedly the worst team Cheltenham have faced in any match this season, including friendlies against Southern League opposition.
They were all over the place and could not do even the simplest things right.
Eisa set up Carl Winchester for a clear chance which he ballooned over the bar.
Winchester threaded a pass for Dawson to chase and as he raced in on goal, a heavy touch allowed Morris to claim it at his feet.
But Eisa made it 3-0 in the 36th minute after a pass from Pell, rounding the goalkeeper and firing past Yorwerth, who was having an absolute stinker, on the line.
Mo Eisa equals club Football League record
It was 4-0 less than two minutes into the second half as Crawley managed to concede a few seconds after having a corner.
Winchester won the ball and found Dawson whose long punt upfield was headed by defender Cedric Evina straight into the path of Eisa.
He rounded the onrushing Morris and finished well from a tight angle with his left foot to make it 20 League Two goals in his first season of professional football.
Julian Alsop is the only other player to reach that total in a Football League campaign and that was in a team pushing for automatic promotion and eventually going up to League One via the play-offs.
Eisa has scored 22 in total for a mid-table team, which makes his return even more impressive.
With seven matches to go, he could surpass Alsop's haul of 26 in all competitions during the 2001/02 campaign.
He has eight goals in his last eight games and seems to be improving both in confidence and finishing prowess with each passing week.
There are sure to be offers to take him to the Championship this summer and if it is to be only a one year stay with the Robins, he is certainly making the most of it.
Crawley fight back to win the second half 3-2
It is difficult to criticise a team that has scored five goals in an away victory, but Cheltenham will be disappointed with the way they allowed Crawley back into the game.
Their first came from Charlton Athletic loanee Karlan Ahearne-Grant, who got the better of Jake Andrews in the box after the Robins midfielder had initially conceded possession to Randall inside the Crawley half in the 50th minute.
The in-form Will Boyle then easily out-jumped Yorwerth to nod in Dawson's cross to make it 5-1 three minutes later after a short corner routine Crawley appeared to have no interest in trying to prevent.
Eisa was close to completing his second hat-trick of the season when he saw a curling shot from the edge of the box hit the post in the 59th minute.
Johnson then sent on George Lloyd and Brian Graham in place of Andrews and Winchester, switching from 4-5-1 to 4-4-2.
Young combined with Ahearne-Grant and crossed for Panutche Camara to head in Crawley's second, with nobody picking him up.
Flinders should have done better with a low shot from Camara, which he pushed into the path of Young, who made it 5-3 in the 84th minute.
The Robins number one has not made many mistakes since arriving at the end of August.
Crawley had to commit extra bodies forward after finding themselves 5-1 down, which was always likely to result in extra defensive work for Cheltenham, but they did not handle the test particularly well.
It may have been an untidy end, but it was nevertheless an impressive away display as Cheltenham made it five wins on the road this season.
Harry Pell shows the form which led to a clamour for his signature last summer
Several clubs wanted to recruit Pell before the 2017/18 season started, with Chesterfield keen and Blackpool coming the closest.
The newly-promoted League One side had a bid of £200,000 accepted, but the move fell through as he could not agree personal terms.
After returning to action as a substitute in the Carabao Cup first round win at Oxford United, it was obvious why he had been in such demand, helping swing the tie in Cheltenham's favour and earn a home match against West Ham United in the second round.
The uncertainty over his future may then have had an unsettling effect on the 26-year-old, but if recent performances are anything to go by, he is somewhere close to rediscovering his best form.
Just as he did towards the end of last season, Pell's brightest performances have come playing wide, when the goals also begin to flow.
His brace at Crawley, from the left, took his total to five for this term, four away from last season's total.
When he is enjoying himself, as he clearly was at the Checkatrade.com Stadium, and driving forward with the ball at his feet, Pell is still one of Cheltenham's prized assets and is frequently the subject of praise from opposition managers, fans and media alike.
Johnson will hope he sees much more of Pell in that kind of mood next season.
Crawley Town (4-5-1): G Morris; L Young, J McNerney, J Yorwerth (A Tajbakhsh 67), C Evina (J Roberts 61); E Boldewijn, J Smith, D Bulman, M Randall, K Ahearne-Grant; P Camara. Subs not used: Y Mersin, M Sanoh, J Payne, J Lelan, K Djalo.
Cheltenham Town (4-5-1): S Flinders; T Moore, J Grimes, W Boyle, I Chatzitheodoridis (J Cranston 78); K Dawson, N Atangana, C Winchester (B Graham 67), H Pell, J Andrews (G Lloyd 67); M Eisa. Subs not used: R Lovett, E Adebayo, J Sellars.
Referee: Chris Sarginson.
Attendance: 2,172 (155 away).
Star Man: Mo Eisa.
