Woolery show delights boss
KAIYNE IS JUST SO ABLE
VERDICT: As clichéd as it is, Cooper is taking one game at a time with 12 games to go. Macclesfield’s play-off hopes remain despite this setback
CALMNESS personified, Forest Green boss Mark Cooper is still keeping his feet firmly on the ground as the National League title race contines to hot-up. Hot-shot Christian Doidge’s 18th of the season, a second-half strike from captain Liam Noble and a first-ever goal from Carlisle United loanee defender Mark Ellis helped propel Rovers up to second as they put a huge dent in Macclesfield’s own play-off aspirations. The Silkmen now find themselves seven points behind fifth-placed Dover, while Forest Green narrow the gap at the top of the table to just three points. And with 12 games to go, Cooper’s side are on the coat tails of leaders Lincoln City, who drew at Aldershot and with in-form Gateshead beating title rivals Dagenham & Redbridge, who Rovers travel to next weekend, the National League season is entering a thrilling final furlong. “We tick another one off today, and that’s all we can do,” claimed Cooper. “We just keep trying to win games and not worry too much about what happens around us. “There will be twists and turns to come and when the other teams slip up, we have to make sure we take advantage – and we have done that today.” With back-to-back wins, Cooper was delighted with his side’s performance, but reserved high praise for on-loan Wigan Athletic striker Kaiyne Woolery, who looked very able with his his electric pace. Cooper said: “Kaiyne has got incredible pace and we felt it would be a game for him today, because Macclesfield keep a little bit of a high line and there was a lot of space in behind and you saw his pace at times and his pace for the second goal was immense. “Everyone is going to have a part to play and when they do get their chance, like Kaiyne did today,they have to take it. “Everybody contributed today and I was really pleased that we kept a clean sheet in a commanding performance. “A lot of it was what we worked on – intensity and control and I
thought we showed all of today. The players are happy and we keep chipping away.”
Meanwhile, assistant Macclesfield manager Steve Watson felt the Silkmen had an off day in Gloucestershire.
He said: “The lads always give us 100 per cent and they did energy-wise, but we were no way near good enough on the ball.
“The three goals were avoidable, but we were beaten by a good side. We’re fully aware that we’ve conceded too many goals from set plays.
“The lads have gone out there with a man to mark and they lose that man. It happens at all levels, you see free headers and goals going in at every level of the game.
“I’m gutted that we’ve come all the way down here and not putting a performance that I know we’re capable of. “But teams have off days and we had an off today. There’s no rhyme or reason for it and the lads are gutted, they know they haven’t made a good account of themselves.” Watson is confident Macc will respond with their Buildbase FA Trophy quarterfinal replay tie with Dulwich Hamlet on Tuesday night. He added: “The one thing we’ve got to do know is pick ourselves up, show a little bit of character because we’ve got a whole load of games still to play. “We’ve got a good chance on Tuesday to progress in the cup and get within two games of Wembley and there’s still a lot of league games to play and we’ve got games in hand.”