STOKES FIRES UP MARK’S BIG DAY
JUBILANT Mark Cooper crowned his 300th managerial win and joked captain Chris Stokes will need a hip replacement after his first goal of the season helped Forest Green underpin their automatic-promotion hopes.
Goals from Stokes and Kane Wilson helped in-form Rovers remain third in the table, just a point behind leaders Cheltenham Town and level on points with Cambridge United, who they travel to next Saturday.
“Stokesy [Chris Stokes] will need a hip replacement after that great finish – he was great today and it was a worldie from Kane Wilson,” beamed Cooper.
“Our game plan was to let them have the ball and then counter-attack them – we chose to be compact.
“That’s seven out of nine, and I’ll take that for every game now until the end of the season.”
And Cooper insisted his side deserved a first-half penalty when Dom Bernard appeared to be tripped.
“The referee admitted we should have had a penalty afterward, when Dom Bernard was brought down.”
Elliott Whitehouse saw red for dissent deep into second-half stoppage time, with Cooper insisting a card was avoidable. He said: “The referee could have managed the sending off better, it just needed a quiet word.”
Rovers took the lead after 22 minutes when on-loan Charlton striker Josh Davison’s flick from Nicky Cadden’s free-kick fell to captain Stokes who drilled the ball home through a crowded goalmouth.
Wilson made it 2-0 in the 50th minute. A scintillating move saw the former West Brom man drive into the box to swap passes with Jamille Matt to fizz the ball across James Belshaw and into the bottom corner of the net.
Substitute Odin Bailey should have made it 3-0 with 22 minutes left. Whitehouse released Collins, but Bailey dallied on the ball to see his effort blocked.
With Rovers comfortable, the game was almost turned on its head. Harrogate’s Jay
Williams headed in a 91st minute corner and Rovers’ Whitehouse was sent off in the dying seconds for dissent.
Harrogate boss Simon Weaver felt his side were not at their recent levels that have seen them charge up the table. He said: “I was very disappointed at half time because we didn’t turn up with our usual energy and vigour.
“For the first 35 minutes we were well short in all areas of the pitch, but I thought there was a reaction after the second goal. That’s a positive, but we didn’t do enough in a game that was winnable. “Overall, it was a disappointing day. We don’t want to be happy with mid-table, we want to push on.”
MARK Bonner saluted his Cambridge team’s spirit after they rallied from an early two-goal deficit to beat Oldham.
Davis Keillor-Dunn struck two early goals to put the hosts in front, but Jack Iredale’s brace as well as goals from Paul Mullin and Luke Hannant kept the visitors’ promotion push on track.
And a delighted Bonner hailed his side’s fightback.
“Obviously we were a bit stunned with the two goals early on, but the response from the players was excellent,” he said.
“We got punished in those early moments, but I was delighted with the intensity and the determination we showed to dig out the situation before half-time.
“We’re in a great position. It’s up to us to stay there now, but we’ll do our utmost.
“We’ll attack these final games of the season now, we’ll be brave and give it everything.”
Oldham went ahead early when Keillor-Dunn met
Andrea Badan’s through-ball, before tucking it past Cambridge keeper
Callum Burton at the second attempt.
After 11 minutes Keillor-Dunn struck again, converting Nicky Adams’ whipped-in cross from close range.
Oldham keeper Laurie Walker – making his EFL debut at age 31 – saved brilliantly from Mullin, before the U’s halved the deficit just before the half-hour mark.
It came from the penalty spot after Raphael Diarra tripped Greg Taylor, with Mullin scoring the spot-kick.
The visitors equalised nine minutes before the break when Iredale’s deflected strike from 18 yards beat Walker.
And in injury-time Iredale put his side in front when he smashed in after Mullin’s smart back-heel.
Oldham had a penalty of their own after 69 minutes when Kyle Knoyle bundled over sub Bobby Grant.
But Keillor-Dunn missed his hat-trick opportunity when Burton saved his spotkick.
Cambridge sub Hannant then curled home direct from a corner-kick to complete the win for the visitors, who are now second.
Despite losing his first home game in charge of Oldham, Keith Curle was happy with the opening stages.
“I very much enjoyed the opening 25 minutes,” he said.
“We got ourselves 2-0 in front and could have had more maybe, but we were up against a very good Cambridge team and they carry a real goal threat.
“Perhaps some of the players got a bit wrapped in the emotion of the day, though. At half-time when we were behind we need to show a bit more maturity maybe, and at that point we needed to press the reset button and go again.
“I’ve already seen we’ve got some good footballers here.”