COOPER’S QUIET OVER LIONS LINK
MARK Cooper guided Forest Green to the top of League Two, but remained tight-lipped about his link to managerless Millwall.
Cooper is among the candidates on the Lions’ shortlist, but the Rovers head coach responded curtly when asked about the job. “I haven’t got any thoughts. You’ve seen in recent weeks, Michael Flynn at Newport and Michael Duff at Cheltenham being linked to jobs, it happens,” he said.
With his father Terry Cooper, the former Leeds United and England legend, making the trip from Spain to watch from the stand, he added: “I was glad we won – I’d have got a thick ear otherwise if we didn’t, so it made him happy.”
Rovers were at it from the get-go against Gabriele Coffi’s out-of-sorts Crawley.
They nosed ahead when Matty Stevens and Joseph Mills traded passes before Crawley keeper Glenn Morris upended the advancing Mills. Mills fluffed his lines from the spot with Morris throwing up a paw, but kept his composure to thump the free ball home.
Rovers made it 2-0 in the 52nd minute. Stevens and Carl Winchester combined for Aaron Collins to bury his strike into the bottom corner.
Three minutes later Rovers went 3-0 up. Crawley’s Panutche Camara flattened Ebou Adams in the box and Mills stepped up to smash in his fifth goal of the season.
Crawley grabbed a lifeline as Rovers’ goal was breached for the first time in six games. Reece Grego-Cox arrowed a ball into the box for Mason Bloomfield to fizz beyond Lewis Thomas.
Rovers had chances to increase their lead with Winchester and Liam Shephard going close.
Cooper added: “I enjoyed the game and we were very aggressive in our play, lots of chances, but the disappointing thing for me was the goal. It was a disappointing goal to give away, which made the second-half less enjoyable, but we had to concede a goal sometime after five successive clean sheets.”
Cooper reserved high praise for referee Matthew Smith. He said: “I thought the referee was outstanding – the best I’ve seen – I think he must understand football. “We’ve beaten a very good team that have had some amazing results. “We showed maturity and were measured and pressed and played some really good football.” Cioffi felt his side were naïve when gifting Rovers two penalties. He said: “The penalties were clumsy and soft, so I’m disappointed. “We will go back to basics and refresh our minds. “It’s important to work and what we have done today wasn’t good enough. “We need to support the players and work hard.”
FOREST GREEN: Thomas 6, Bernard 8, M Mills 6 (Rawson 10, 6), Kitching 7, Shephard 7, Winchester 7, Adams 8, J Mills 8, Collins 7 (Allen 84, 6), Aitchison 7, Stevens 7. Subs not used: Wollacott, Morton, McGinley, Mondal, Taylor.
CRAWLEY: Morris 7, Sesay 6, Tunnicliffe 6, Dallison 6, Doherty 6, Bulman 6 (NathanielGeorge 65, 6), Ferguson 6, Grego-Cox 6, Camara 6 (Allarakhia 56, 6), Beryly Lubala 6, Enigbokan-Bloomfield 7 (van Velzen 78, 6). Not used: Young, Sendles-White, Galach, Luyambula.