Leicester saw off Cheltenham 2:1 in the FA Cup's 2nd Round Qualifying on September 19, 2026. By then the visitors had already shown they could be ruthless — two weeks earlier they'd dismantled Grays Athletic 5:0 at home. Cheltenham, meanwhile, came into the fixture fresh from a comfortable 3:0 win over Biggleswade Town.
The scoreline tells only part of the story. Leicester's recent run includes a 3:1 victory over Gorleston and a 4:2 win against Evesley, though they did drop a point in a 0:0 draw with the same Grays side they'd thrashed. Cheltenham's form has been more mixed — a heavy 0:5 defeat to Luton in mid-July still sits in memory alongside that impressive 3:0.
What this means: Leicester advance to the next stage of the competition. Cheltenham's campaign ends here, despite those late-season results against higher opposition. The visitors' away record in this tournament remains to be seen, but they've now proven they can match up against teams of this level.
The gap between these two sides isn't just in the result. Leicester have been scoring freely — five goals against Grays, four against Evesley — while Cheltenham's defensive vulnerability showed in that 0:5 loss to Luton. This fixture, as it turned out, reflected that difference.
